Sam M. Walton College of Business

Walton College Dean Candidates to Hold Open Forums

2012-01-19T16:10:00.000-06:00

Four candidates for dean of the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas will visit campus over the next four weeks for interviews and public forums.

The four candidates are Sarah Gardial of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville; David Urban of Virginia Commonwealth University; Stephen Mangum of Ohio State University; and Eli Jones of Louisiana State University.

Sarah Gardial, vice provost for faculty affairs and professor of marketing at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, will speak at an open forum from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 23, in the auditorium of the Donald W. Reynolds Center for Enterprise Development. Gardial received her doctorate in marketing, with a minor in social psychology, from the University of Houston in 1986, after earning a B.S.B.A. and an M.B.A. from the Walton College. She has served as vice-provost at Tennessee since 2008. She was associate dean for academic programs at the University of Tennessee College of Business Administration in 2004-2008 and also has been assistant dean in charge of the full-time M.B.A. program. Her primary expertise and research interests are in the areas of customer value and satisfaction, the decision processes of customers and consumers, consumer information processing and buyer-seller relationships. She is the co-author of the book Know Your Customer: New Perspectives on Customer Value and Satisfaction.

David Urban, executive associate dean of the school of business and professor of marketing at Virginia Commonwealth University, will speak from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 30, in the Reynolds Center auditorium. He received a bachelor of science in commerce from the University of Virginia and holds both a master’s degree in psychology and a doctorate in business administration from the University of Michigan. Urban has been executive associate dean of the business school at Virginia Commonwealth since 2010 after serving as interim dean of the business school in 2009-2010. He formerly had a joint appointment as director of the Survey and Evaluation Research Laboratory in the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth. Urban's primary research interests are in customer satisfaction, retailing and distribution channel management. He has published over 30 articles in publications such as the Journal of Advertising Research, Industrial Marketing Management and Human Resource Management, among others.

Stephen Mangum, senior associate dean and professor of management and human resources at Ohio State University, will speak from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 6, in the Reynolds Center auditorium. Mangum received his doctorate in economics in 1984 from George Washington University, where he also earned a master of philosophy in economics. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Utah. He has served as senior associate dean since 1996 and was interim dean of the business school in 2007-2009. Mangum has published in a variety of professional journals, including Labor Law Journal, American Journal of Economics and Sociology and the Industrial and Labor Relations Review. His research topics are diverse: military manpower, national training policy, returns to post-school occupational training, regional economic development, physician migration, contingent employment and poverty. Mangum serves on the editorial board of the International Journal of Manpower. His work in international human resource development includes activities in Mauritania, Oman, Northern Ireland, India, the United Arab Emirates and Vietnam.

Eli Jones, dean of the business college and professor of marketing at Louisiana State University, will speak from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 13, in the Reynolds Center auditorium. Jones earned his undergraduate, M.B.A. and Ph.D. degrees from Texas A&M University, receiving his doctorate in 1997. Jones has been widely published in major marketing journals and is co-author of the books Selling ASAP: Art, Science, Agility, Performance and Strategic Sales Leadership: BREAKthrough Thinking for BREAKthrough Results. Jones’ research primarily focuses on issues related to the changing sales force – sales force diversity, sales force change management and sales force technology adoption and performance, salesperson motivation and buyer-seller relationships. Before becoming a professor, Jones worked in sales and sales management for three Fortune 100 companies. In March 2009, he was named a Mays Business School outstanding alumnus.

A half-hour reception will follow each of the open forums. Complete vitas for all of the candidates are available online at http://waltoncollege.uark.edu/dean-search.asp.
Contacts:
Ashok Saxena, dean
College of Engineering
479-575-3054, asaxena@uark.edu

David Speer, director of communications
Sam M. Walton College of Business
479-575-2539, dlspeer@uark.edu

Who's Who?

2011-11-01T14:09:00.001-05:00

Walton College Alumni, we need your help! We found the following picture in our archives, and we're trying to identify the students in it. We received some help on Facebook, but we haven't had any luck identifying the students highlighted in yellow. Can you help? If so, leave us a comment or email rburton@walton.uark.edu.

According to some input on Facebook, this photo is from spring break 1991, and it was taken on the portfolio management class's trip to the NYSE.

Thanks in advance!

{Hint: Click the picture if you need to see it larger.}

Chuck Dudley - Taking Responsibility for Your Retirement

2011-10-11T09:11:00.000-05:00

WHY IS THERE A NEED FOR RETIREMENT ACCOUNTABILITY TODAY?

This month's blog post is going straight to the point. Everyone, including you and me, must take responsibility for our own retirement. As stated in previously, HOPE IS NOT A VALID STRATEGY. Hope is important in certain things in our lives, but not when a safe and secure retirement is at stake.

The information out there is cause for concern. Social Security is the political football of the day and many have doubts about what they will receive. The Baby Boomers are just starting to draw this money, and there are a lot of us. It must be paid for by the current contributors to Social Security, and there are not as many of them. You can see the problem.

Qualified retirement plans have had their issues, as well, unless you are a great equity manager. Other factors that must be taken into consideration are inflation, tax increases, and the obsolescence of your material goods that need to be replaced over time. This drives the cost of living higher.

I have so many people tell me that they won’t need as much money when they retire, but try replacing your automobile, your heating and air conditioning unit, or take a trip on an airplane. Have you looked at the costs of health care lately? Why wouldn’t you want as much money as you can have to cope with these hidden assaults on your wealth? I suspect most would want more.

HOW CAN I PLAN FOR RETIREMENT IN THE CURRENT ENVIRONMENT?
Obviously, you need a better plan. It starts by analyzing your current strategy. Look at your 401k, your IRA and other investments to determine where you are. That’s a good beginning.

You must realize that we all have economic dilemmas. It’s called the Science of Scarcity, another term for basic economics. How do we utilize our scarce resources to be efficient in our wealth preservation and accumulation? That is the million dollar question, isn’t it?

LIQUIDITY, USE AND CONTROL------LUC
We could all use a little LUC, which stands for Liquidity, Use and Control. Using our money wisely to solve several of these issues is an admirable goal.

Liquidity— This means having resources available when tough times arrive or when opportunities present themselves.

Use—there can be multiple uses for your money including protection, savings, growth, college education, retirement.

Control—YOU control how YOU use your money, and don’t become subject to ever changing government rules and regulations. Protect yourself against the unseen factors that come up unexpectedly in life. Find yourself a safety net.

HOW DO I START?
First, you have to want to do something different than your current strategy. Once you come to that conclusion, it’s time to look at the BIG PICTURE of your retirement needs. Gather bank statements, brokerage statements, loan information, 401k and IRA statements insurance policies and Long Term Care information. Then we can see where you have been, and can help you chart a course for the future.

We’ll look at the scarcity of resources, and help you determine a path to greater financial security, and concentrate on having some LUC!
ACTION PLAN
Please consider your wants, needs and desires for financial security. We really want you to have independence and LUC. We would be honored to visit with you about how to help you and your business. My number is 501-318-0010, or you can send me an email at cdudley@argentmoney.com.

An hour of your time spent analyzing your situation might make a lifetime of difference.

Woo Pig Sooie in Dallas!

2011-09-26T09:30:00.001-05:00

Ah memories...this time last year, a good time was had by all in Dallas at our Walton College alumni luncheon.

Ed Lynch (BSBA '77) & host, Jeff Cole (BSBA '85)

We are headed back there this week in celebration of the third annual Southwest Classic and will once again be hosted by Jeff Cole (BSBA '85) and Patton Boggs LLP for lunch. Please join Dean Dan Worrell, Walton College alumni, staff and friends for networking, and to learn about the latest and the greatest back at "the Hill".

Thursday, September 29, 2011
11:45 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

Patton Boggs LLP- Presidential Suite

2000 McKinney Ave, Ste. 1700

Dallas, Texas

Registration is required. Register now!
$15 Arkansas Alumni Association members
$20 for non-members (Join the Association today!)

Free garage parking will be available for registered guests-
Enter off of Harwood Street or Woodall Rogers access road.

Questions? E-mail alumni@walton.uark.edu or call Carolyn at 479-575-6153.

Chuck Dudley-Continue Your Education

2011-09-22T09:00:00.000-05:00

GRADUATION IS A FANTASTIC DAY

Yes it is. It means that you have navigated the twisting path to achievement. You have successfully completed 4 (or 5…..the victory lap) years of whatever the school has thrown at you. You are more mature, and have a sense of purpose of what you want to start out doing in your adult life. And, hopefully, you have proper employment and will be getting your own real paycheck soon.

Congratulations.

Welcome to my world now.

The real education begins on the first day of your new job.

Forms to fill out. How many deductions am I supposed to use on the W-9 form? Which health insurance option do I need to select? How come I can’t start my 401k until a year later? They are taking HOW much out of my paycheck for taxes and FICA and Medicare?!?!

You get the picture. But, you’ll figure this out and move forward, accepting the things you have to accept and count this experience in the “lessons learned” category.

REALLY, CONTINUE YOUR EDUCATION

This is really the point of this blog.

The world is changing fast. Technology has seen to that.

So you must strive to keep up with it.

I graduated in 1976 with a BSBA in Marketing with a minor in Economics. Then I got my MBA in 1977.

In the last 34 years, I have been a stock broker, banker, trust company owner, and a benefits advisor to individuals, banks and small businesses. I learned a lot at the University of Arkansas about some things, but was not at all trained in what I became.

Along the way, I went to brokerage schools in St Louis, bank schools in Illinois, New Jersey, Oklahoma and Arkansas; insurance schools and seminars too numerous to mention here.

Here’s the point: If your company offers to educate you, jump at the chance. It enhances resumes and prepares you for whatever the next phase of your life might be. Never, ever, turn down the chance to go to another school or a learning seminar if you can keep from it. This includes self-help, motivational and the like. Always strive to improve yourself, and your marketability. You never know what you might gain, and who you might meet that will be beneficial for your career.

GOOD LUCK TO YOU ALL!

This is the 5^th and last in my series of blogs for the benefit of current students and recent graduates. To review, we’ve examined what I would expect of you if you worked for me, how to dress for success in today’s culture, how to build your network, business etiquette and how to continue your education.

We are all a work in progress until the day we decide to hang it up. You are just getting started, and I hope these words of experience might have been helpful for you.

Thanks for the opportunity to share with the great students of the Walton College, my alma mater.

And the 2011 Forks Go To...

2011-09-21T08:36:00.000-05:00

We know you've been waiting with bated breath to learn the results from last week's Bon Appetit event but we've been busy cleaning up our mess in the kitchen and raising more money for needs-based scholarships. If you weren't able to make it to the event last Thursday, we hope you can make it next time. Our "celebrity caterers" sent us away with full bellies and over $2000 to add to the Walton College Alumni Society needs-based scholarship fund! It was a great evening and our gracious hosts, David and Fenner Russell, were most accommodating to the needs of our chefs.

And now for the results...but stick around for more good news after the awards are announced!

Dean's Choice Award

Brisket Sliders on Homemade Rosemary Cheddar Biscuits

LauraLadd Poff, "The Walton College of Brisket"

(That's right-- homemade. She made those biscuits from scratch! The Dean likes homecookin'.)

Go Team WCAS! Shan Russell, Denny Woods, Trey Buckner, Heather Nelson

Chairman of the Stove & Bronze Fork Award

Mixed Chocolate Creme Brule

Trey Buckner and Shan Russell

representing the Walton College Alumni Society board of directors

(Chairman of the stove is a traveling trophy awarded to the alumni advisory board with the most votes)

The SCREAM Cheesers: Andrew Duck, Andrew Henson, Stuart Baber, with Dean Worrell

Silver Fork Award

Cherry SCREAM Cheese Tarts
and Wild Boar Bacon SCREAM Cheese Jalapeno Poppers

The SCREAM Cheesers

Team All Madden: Josh and Courtney Madden, with Dean Worrell

Gold Fork Award

Meatball Sliders

Team "All-Madden"

We were there and, yes, we tried it all despite the limitations of our waistbands. So we would be remiss to not recognize all of the hard work that went into the event by every celebrity caterer. Every dish was delicious and we are thankful for the all of the time in the kitchen that our alumni contributed to support Walton College students.

So what could make things even sweeter? The following day, the Walton College Alumni Society board of directors held their annual fall meeting. This group is passionate about supporting needs-based scholarships, indeed, as they set a goal to raise $50,000 for this needs-based scholarship in three years. Once they tallied the dollars raised from the night before, they twisted a few more arms and managed to raise the remainder of the funds by the end of the day! Mission accomplished! But, oh no, this group won't stop there. They are already in discussions to establish annual dues to support more scholarships and perhaps begin a new campaign to fund yet another $50,000 endowed scholarship. We can't wait to see what this amazing crew will accomplish next.

If you are interested in joining forces with this fabulous group of Walton College alumni or participating in future Bon Appetit events, e-mail alumni@walton.uark.edu.

Celebrity Caterer Spotlight: First Security Team

2011-09-13T11:10:00.000-05:00

Jake Earney (BSBA ’10) has teamed up with First Security Bank colleagues, John Morris (BSBA ’01) and Tyler Angel (BSBA ’08), and hopes to steam roll their competition this Thursday night at the Walton College Bon Appetit event with his famous Razorback Rolls.

If you've been a follower of Bon Appetit over the years, you may have noticed a First Security trend among our "celebrity caterers" and hosts. Last fall's event was hosted by Jake's teammate, John Morris, and featured the sTEAL CHEFs team comprised of First Security's very own David Russell and Alex Burris. David had so much fun at the event, that he and his wife have graciously offered to host this fall's event in their home.

2010 celebrity caterer, David Russell

This past summer in Central Arkansas, delicious pulled smoke pork sliders were served up by the Crews'in through Finance team made up of Nathan Rutledge and his colleague, Cam Deacon. Starting the trend at the inaugural Bon Appetit event in 2009, Adam Rutledge, also of First Security Bank, pleased guests with baby back ribs most likely cooked on a teal grill. We also see a pork trend here among our banker friends and so far they have yet to disappoint.

But don't take our word for it; come out and judge for yourself. Every vote counts as a direct contribution to the Walton College Alumni Society scholarship. We hope you'll register and join us for the fun this Thursday, September 15, but if you can't make the event, please support student scholarships by sending early or absentee votes for your favorite team. E-mail ceiler@walton.uark.edu to find out how.

Thursday, September 15^th

6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

The Home of David (BSBA ’78, MBA ’79) & Fenner (BA ’75, MBA ’79) Russell

124 West Prospect Street

Fayetteville, Arkansas

Parking available at the Wilson Park baseball field
Register today!

Celebrity Caterer Spotlight: Team WCAS

2011-09-12T14:00:00.004-05:00

Team WCAS (Walton College Alumni Society) is ready to bring it with their Mixed Chocolate Crème Brûlée!

Representing the Walton College Alumni Society Board of Directors, team captain Trey Buckner (BSBA ’91) chose wisely by selecting teammate Shan Russell (BSBA ’90), who is fresh off a win at the Central Arkansas Bon Appétit this summer. Chock-full of chocolatey goodness, this dish is sure to satisfy any sweet tooth. But even though their dish is sweet, we assure you these guys mean business when it comes to the competition!

Shan Russell, Chris Johnson, and Dean Worrell at the Central Arkansas Bon Appetit

Want to see if Shan can keep up his winning streak and if Team WCAS will again take home the coveted Chairman of the Stove Award? Then join us at Walton College Bon Appétit!

Thursday, September 15^th

6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

The Home of David (BSBA ’78, MBA ’79) & Fenner (BA ’75, MBA ’79) Russell

124 West Prospect Street

Fayetteville, Arkansas

Parking available at the Wilson Park baseball field

Register now for the event and help or hinder this winning streak by casting early votes for your favorite team! E-mail ceiler@walton.uark.edu for early voting tokens, which cost $1 a piece and are a fully tax-deductible contribution to the Walton College Alumni Society needs-based scholarship fund. See you there!

Celebrity Caterer Spotlight: The Boys--and Girl--of Summer

2011-09-12T08:30:00.000-05:00

It’s a summer-themed battle royale between Team Luminous Lemonaires and Team Fayettechill!

The Luminous Lemonaires, comprised of clinical associate professor David Hyatt (BSBA ’89, MBA ’98) and associate professor Molly Rapert (BSBA ’85, MBA ’87), are trading in their laser pointers for kitchen tongs to represent the Walton College faculty at the College’s Bon Appétit event on Thursday! They’ll prove they’re more than just brilliant minds in the classroom when they serve up their Lemon Bars paired with Limoncello Liqueur. These brainiacs are ready to show their inner brawn to the competition, and their summery citrus combo is sure to pack a punch!

Team Fayettechill captain Mo Elliott (BSBA ’11) heats up the competition by cooling down with Summer Peach Custard. Mo founded Fayettechill, a clothing company, in 2009 with a philosophy of a relaxed, comfortable lifestyle. But don’t let Team Fayettechill’s calm exterior fool you; their summer dessert concoction is ready to duke it out for the win!

So who will taste sweet victory? Find out while celebrating the end of summer with us on Thursday, September 15th, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., at the home of David (BSBA ’78, MBA ’79) and Fenner (BA ’75, MBA ’79) Russell, 124 West Prospect Street Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Register today and give your favorite team a competitive edge by casting early votes. E-mail ceiler@walton.uark.edu to find out how. Early votes are $1 each and are a fully tax-deductible contribution to the Walton College Alumni Society needs-based scholarship fund.

Celebrity Caterer Spotlight: Chase for the Fork

2011-09-10T10:00:00.076-05:00

As we approach the Walton College Bon Appetit finish line on September 15th, two contenders are neck and neck in the competition for the gold fork with some tasty appetizer recipes.

Racing as the Dean Team—John Paul (BSBA ’08), Weston Passmore (BSBA ’09) and David Proffitt (BSBA ’08) hope to clinch the fork with their Watermelon Gazpacho. They promise to provide the spoons (or chips in this case) if you will help them win the fork with your votes.

Dipping towards the checkered flag— the Business Alumni Advisory Council Team led by Marlena Sweeney Bond (BSBA ’04) is confident that they will head directly to Victory Lane with Siete Niveles del Cielo (Seven Levels of Heaven). Marlena claims that this heavenly dip is to credit for her husband’s marriage proposal. Marlena’s teammate and official team taster, Joel Sanders (BSBA ’07), has given the dip his seal of approval with a thumbs up! (Alas, a marriage proposal was not an option for sign of approval this time around.)

Don’t miss the final lap as the Chase for the Fork ends this Thursday, September 15 at 6:30 p.m.! Who will rev their engines all the way to Victory Lane? Register today for front row seats to cheer on your favorite team in support of the Walton College Alumni Society Scholarship fund. Early and absentee votes are also a option if you can't make it to the event. E-mail ceiler@walton.uark.edu to cast your votes! Early voting tokens are $1 a piece and are a fully tax deductible contribution to the scholarship fund.

Celebrity Caterer Spotlight: It's Five O'Clock Somewhere...

2011-09-09T14:30:00.006-05:00

Sangria Slingers, David & Grant

At a moment like this, I can’t help but wonder…what would Jimmy Buffett do?

As summer draws to a close and the cool crisp air moves in, why not come sample the perfect patio drink with fellow Walton College graduates, Grant Ginder (BSBA ’98) and David Johnson (BSBA ’92)? These guys have mastered the art of the happy hour cocktail with their Rojo Sangria and hope you will come out next Thursday to vote for them at the Walton College Bon Appetit event in support of needs-based student scholarships.

Tall, strong and refreshing, you’ll be swept away to the Costa del Sol. Celebrate the end of summer with us next Thursday, September 15, 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. at the home of David and Fenner Russell. Grant and David's recipe will be featured in the commemorative recipe booklet given to every guest. So come get swept away to the Costa del Sol with us but please register for the event here before you get swept away with that first sip. Salud!

If you can't make it to the event, you can still support scholarships by submitting absentee votes for Grant and Dave. Early voting tokens are $1 a piece and are a fully tax deductible contribution to the Walton College Alumni Society needs-based scholarship fund. Email ceiler@walton.uark.edu to learn more.

Celebrity Caterer Spotlight: The SCREAM Cheesers

2011-09-09T09:00:00.016-05:00

Stuart Baber (BSBA' 06) is no stranger to competition at his nine-to-five as a Farm Bureau insurance agent right here in Washington County. Next Thursday he will face some after-hours competition at the Walton College Bon Appetit event in support of needs-based scholarships. Joining him in his efforts are his fearless Kappa Sigma fraternity brothers, Andrew Duck (BSBA '06) and Andrew Henson (BSBA '06).

These longtime friends and serious Razorback fans have named themselves the SCREAM Cheesers to pay homage to their main ingredient: cream cheese. (We suspect the name may also have something to do with calling their beloved Hogs.)

Unable to decide between a sweet or savory dish, they will delight guests with both.

Representing the softer side of this team, Cherry SCREAM Cheese Tarts are sure to represent the love these guys have for each other. But don't be fooled; they are serious about domination and not afraid to blaze their competition with their SCREAM Cheese Stuffed Jalapeno Poppers.

The SCREAM Cheesers may have their competition shaking in their boots with threats of domination, but they promise to be kind to our guests. So come out and judge for yourself.

Thursday, September 15
6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.

The Home of David (BSBA '78, MBA '79) and Fenner (BA '75, MBA '79) Russell
124 West Prospect Street
Fayetteville, Arkansas

Register for the event here and cast early votes for your favorite team by e-mailing ceiler@walton.uark.edu. Early voting tokens are $1 a piece and are a fully tax deductible contribution to the Walton College Alumni Society needs-based scholarship fund.

Celebrity Caterer Spotlight: Got sliders?

2011-09-08T15:26:00.000-05:00

If it's sliders that you're craving, then head on over to the home of David (BSBA '78, MBA '79) and Fenner (MBA '79) Russell for the Walton College Bon Appetit event next Thursday night.

As mentioned in our last post, Team Madden has already issued a challenge to their competitors claiming that they will represent the "best of the best" with their meatball sliders. However, Bon Appetit guests will be presented with two more slider options when casting their votes for the night's best dish.

So what is a slider anyway? A quick Google search led to a brief history lesson on the Burger Blog at Cheese-Burger.net. Apparently credit for these delightful mini-burgers is due to Walter Anderson, founder of the White Castle fast food chain, who wanted to keep his costs down. He accomplished this by serving a tiny burger cooked in a particularly cost effective way.

Although you can find frozen White Castle sliders at a few local retail establishments, we recommend you sink your teeth into the Bon Appetit competition instead and support needs-based scholarships for Walton College students. Allen Brumett (BSBA '00), owner of Fayetteville restaurant, Sassy's Red House,will heat up the competition with Sassy's sliced brisket sliders.

Representing the home-cooked version, LauraLadd Poff (BSBA '09) and her teammate are sure to satisfy your cravings with their brisket sliders on homemade bread topped with a surprise spread.

We hope you choose to come out and be a part of Walton College history and vote on your favorite slider. If you're already a fan of any one of these slider chefs and want to cast an early vote, e-mail ceiler@walton.uark.edu. Early voting tokens are $1 a piece and are a fully tax deductible contribution to the Walton College Alumni Society needs-based scholarship fund.

Don't forget to register for the event here. Registration is required.
Are you hungry yet?

Celebrity Caterer Spotlight: Team "All-Madden"

2011-09-08T08:52:00.004-05:00

Look out Northwest Arkansas! Brother and sister duo, Josh (BSBA '08) and Courtney (BSBA '04) Madden already have plans to sweep up their competition at next Thursday's Walton College Bon Appetit event. Team captain, Courtney, was spotted last Saturday at Razorback stadium with Josh serving samples of the meatball sliders that they hope will bring home the gold fork award at this year's fundraiser for the Walton College Alumni Society Access Arkansas scholarship.

When asked how the campaign for their sliders was going, Courtney fearlessly reported that had already collected some early votes for their dish and are ready for the challenge.

"The All-Madden Team represents the best of the best from the Walton College. We will bring greatness to the event with our meatball sliders!"

These two mean serious business and should prove to be tough competition. Please join us for the fun next Thursday, September 15 from 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Check back again to learn more about their competition. Until then learn more about the event here or register for the event here. Registration is required.

If you have other obligations that hinder your attendance, don’t let their hard work go without recognition. You may vote for Team Madden ahead of time to show your support. E-mail ceiler@walton.uark.edu to find out how! Early voting tokens are $1 a piece and are a fully tax deductible contribution to the Walton College Alumni Society needs-based scholarship fund.

Meet the Celebrity Caterers

2011-08-30T11:00:00.003-05:00

This year's Bon Appetit event is bound to be another sweet treat. We've lined up eleven celebrity caterer teams comprised of Walton College alumni and faculty who are vying to win the coveted gold, silver, and bronze forks that represent top-chef status.

Our celebrity caterers include,

Team Fayettechill

Mo Elliot (BSBA ’09)

The Dean Team

John Paul (BSBA ’08), Weston Passmore (BSBA ’09) & David Proffitt (BSBA ’08)

All-Madden

Courtney Madden (BSBA ’04) & Josh Madden (BSBA ’08)

Business Alumni Advisory Council Team

Marlena Sweeney-Bond (BSBA ’04) & Joel Sanders (BSBA ’07)

The SCREAM Cheesers

Stuart Baber (BSBA ’06), Andrew Duck (BSBA ’06) & Andrew Henson (BSBA ’06)

Dr. David Hyatt (BSBA ’89, MBA ’98, clinical assistant professor in supply chain)

Allen Brumett (BSBA ’00) representing Sassy’s Red House

Jake Earney (BSBA ’10), John Morris (BSBA ’01) & Tyler Angel (BSBA ’08)

Grant Ginder (BSBA ’98) & David Johnson (BSBA ’92)

LauraLadd Poff (BSBA ’09)

The Walton College Alumni Society Team

Trey Buckner (BSBA ’91) & Shan Russell (BSBA ’90)

The teams will be profiled on this blog in the coming weeks, so be sure to check back for the scoop.

Until then, don't forget to register for the event!

Save the Date (and room for dessert!)

2011-08-29T12:28:00.000-05:00

Hosted by

David (BSBA '78, MBA '79) & Fenner (MBA '79) Russell

and the Walton College Alumni Society

124 W Prospect Street

Fayetteville, AR 72701

Benefitting the Walton College Alumni Society Scholarship Fund

$30 for Arkansas Alumni Association members

$35 for non-members

The Walton College Alumni Society is cooking up plans for the second annual Bon Appetit event, which will showcase the hidden talents of our alumni and provide support for a needs-based scholarship. This is not your typical business networking reception! We have scouted out the Walton College’s finest foodies in Northwest Arkansas to compete for top-chef status and will be donating a portion of ticket sales to the Walton College Alumni Society Scholarship. So rather than sitting at home and watching celebrity chefs and food competitions on television, come out to enjoy an evening with fellow graduates. A ticket to the event will guarantee an evening of good food, drinks, networking opportunities and, best of all, support for a good cause.

Here is how it works. Our celebrity caterers will dust off their famous family recipes, slave over their stoves, and make your mouths water with their delectable treats. All you have to do is come to the event, eat, drink, and vote on your favorite. Your admission to the event will grant you (5) tokens to use for voting. If five tokens just isn’t enough to express your epicurean preferences, you may purchase more at the event. You’ll feel good about all those extra votes since all of the proceeds will directly benefit the scholarship fund (and are tax deductable)!

To register for the event, visit this page.*

or call 479-575-5425

Check back here over the next few weeks to get the periodic sneak peak of our celebrity caterers and their recipes for success!

*Please note that you will need a username and password to login to the online registration site hosted by the Arkansas Alumni Association. If you have not logged in before, you may contact help@razorbackroad.com to get started. If you would rather register over the phone, you may call Walton College alumni relations manager, Carolyn Eiler, at 479-575-6153.

Chuck Dudley-Business Etiquette

2011-08-03T10:00:00.001-05:00

Chuck Dudley is a 1976 Graduate of the Sam M. Walton College of Business with a degree in Marketing, and holds an MBA from the Walton College in 1977. In addition, he has a degree in banking from the Stonier Graduate School of Banking at Rutgers University. Chuck has 34 years experience in investments, banking, trust, and executive benefit planning. He has spent the last 15 years helping bankers and small business owners retain, reward and retire their key executives as a Vice President for Argent Financial Group.

Chuck and his wife, Martha, live in Hot Springs and have two sons, Robert, a 2010 Information Systems graduate of the Walton College, and Thomas, currently enrolled in the Walton College. Chuck, Robert, and Thomas are members of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. Chuck is a Past President of the Arkansas Alumni Association, and currently is Past President of the Walton College Alumni Society.

BUSINESS ETIQUETTE

Our society has relaxed a lot of standards over the last twenty years, and it has happened in the business world, as well. Casual dress has replaced formal dress as the uniform of the day.

But that doesn’t mean that good manners and respect in business are out of fashion, because they are not.

Several years ago (actually 1989!), there was a book written by Robert Fulghum entitled “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten”. Things like: share everything, play fair, put things back where you found them, clean up your own mess...stuff like that.

Most people understand these things, but think they may not apply to the business world. I assure you, they do. Let’s look at some things you should consider.

EMAIL COURTESY

When you send an email to a superior, address them properly and give them the respect they deserve. “Hey dude, what’s up…” does not get it. “Dear Dr., Mr., or Mrs.” is certainly appropriate.

Organize your email communication so it can be read and understood. Until things change, and I suspect they will, email is the preferred corporate way to communicate ideas, thoughts and instructions. Not Twitter and social media. You learned how to communicate in English class. Please use what you learned so you can be understood.

ANSWER YOUR EMAIL!

If someone has taken the time to communicate with you (and it’s not spam), then you owe them the courtesy of a reply. Even if it’s just to acknowledge receipt of the communication--DO IT! No one likes to think they are being ignored, or that they aren’t valuable. Ignored email communications tell the sender that their message is not important enough to respond to. We didn’t learn that in kindergarten.

RETURN PHONE CALLS

I try to make it a point to return all calls by the end of the day. Even if I can’t reach them, it’s important to leave a message to show them that you tried. My daily worksheet is full of calls to make and I make a log of when I called. My daily sheet is also full of unreturned calls from people, so I have to add them to the next day’s work. Nothing is more frustrating than for people to not return a phone call. It’s disrespectful and it indicates that the person may not think you are important enough. I know we didn’t learn THAT in kindergarten.

SMART PHONE USAGE
Yes, everyone has a smart phone and has instant connectivity to the world. But, that doesn’t mean you have to always be checking it. Common courtesy must be balanced with the desire to always see what everyone is doing. If you are in a business meeting, leave your phone in the car. If you are in a discussion with a client, a friend, a parent, or a prospect, you can wait until you have completed that conversation before checking how the world got along without you. Consider this, if you are in a conversation with someone, and you get a vibration on your phone and decide to whip it out to check the intrusion, you have just told that person that whatever is coming across your telecommunication device is more important than them. IF, that is the message you want to convey to that person, then by all means stay the course. But if you want to show courtesy to those you are in personal contact with, put a halt to the constant connectivity. You might find it less stressful, and it’s certainly better manners. For sure, that was one of the kindergarten lessons.

BE ON TIME

As I have stated previously, on time is TEN MINUTES EARLY. Don’t be late. Realize that things can happen to make you late, such as car accidents, slow traffic, or slow elevators. To avoid being late, start early-as early as you think necessary. One of my good friends has a saying: “You can never get to an airport or a Razorback game too early!” Lots of points in that phrase--in other words, to not be late, make sure you start early.

HOPE THIS IS HELPFUL

People you work with will make judgments on you and your performance based on little things such as respect, promptness, and how you communicate with them. Give them every reason to look favorably on you. And remember, you really did learn these things in kindergarten. Even better: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Next month I’ll write about the importance of continuing your education after you leave the University of Arkansas.

Have a great start to the school year! Maybe I’ll see you on campus.

Chuck Dudley - Building Your Network

2011-07-07T10:00:00.001-05:00

WHY NETWORK?

In this age of instant communication, one might wonder about the necessity of belonging to groups that network. Alumni groups, church groups, civic groups and the like.

The fact of the matter is that people still hire people, and fancy worded resumes might get you in someone’s door, but……..any employer worth their salt will look past the wonderful language and get to the heart of who you really are.

So, that means that you need to have personal relationships to help you build people skills that will set you apart from the run of the mill applicant. Here’s the deal: if you are looking for a new job or career, you won’t find that person who can help you on Dickson Street on a Friday night. You might, but it would be a lucky break, for sure!

That is why building your network(s) is highly important. It has been written that the current generation graduating from college might have ten different jobs by the time they are 40 years old. Mind boggling for sure as most people want some stability. If you are fortunate, you may get that. Many will not.

BUILD YOUR NETWORK

Okay, so how is this done? Well, for starters, look no farther than the best business network in the state of Arkansas and beyond…….the University of Arkansas Alumni Association! It is the best place to start.

As a young graduate, I joined as a Life Member in 1977. What I have found is a lifetime of contacts that would not have been possible had I not attended the University of Arkansas, and specifically the Walton College. I made friends while at school, and have made new friends and contacts over the years because we had common ground. Common Ground is what a salesman understands is the key to working with a client. My dad taught me this over 40 years ago. Find something in common with a prospect, and then you have a basis for a conversation. Maybe it’s about financial products and planning, or developing a relationship with a person that might hire you in the future.

But first, you have to run in the proper circles. My highest recommendation is to make sure you are a member of the Arkansas Alumni Association, and then jump in and get involved in a local alumni chapter. You will begin to expand your network, and make contacts in all walks of life. You will find people you can help, and people that can help you. And, you can talk about the Razorbacks while expanding your network!!

DON’T HESITATE….

The Arkansas Alumni Association has a lot of tools to help you connect, and better yet, put you in touch with the kinds of people you need to be associating with. To be fair, church groups, civic clubs and other similar organizations are helpful, as well. Don’t underestimate their value to your network building. But the cornerstone of your network should be the one you were in most recently, the Walton College at the University of Arkansas. It has been a great network for me, and I hope it can be for those of you that read this blog.

If you need help getting started or finding an alumni chapter, contact me or go to: http://www.arkansasalumni.org/index.php. They have great people at the Alumni Association in Fayetteville. Here’s a link to the Walton College, as well: http://waltoncollege.uark.edu/.

Get involved, build your network, expand your relationships. It is an integral part of your lifetime plan.

Ashley Jancuska - Final Post

2011-07-05T09:05:00.001-05:00

Sorry for the delay in posts. I traveled after the program and did not have internet access to submit the posts as we jumped from one hostel to the next. Here is a recap of the last week of class and then my travel afterwards.

I am done with classes! This last week went by quickly. After we returned from Rome, we had plenty of assignments and activities to keep us busy. On Monday night, CIMBA sponsored an etiquette seminar, reinforcing the importance of professional business behavior at the dinner table. Who knew there could be so many cups and pieces of silverware?! It was also very interesting to learn how business dining practices differ based on the country. We got to use the skills we acquired at a formal dinner held on Tuesday night. Everyone got dressed up, and we were treated to a four-hour long affair with several courses. Earlier Tuesday afternoon, we toured Fila, a floor care manufacturer. We were able to see how a multinational, family-run business operates and also witness how the company determines formulas for new products and then tests these products before distributing them worldwide. On Wednesday, we got the afternoon off to prepare for finals. When classes were over on Friday, a friend of mine and I headed to Cinque Terre, “The Five Lands.” Some of our friends from the program visited during the first weekend and loved their time there. The five different villages – Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso – are connected by walking trails. These small towns certainly fulfilled our expectations! They offered breathtaking ocean views and delicious seafood. After hiking, we spent the afternoon on the beach and simply relaxed. Since the beginning of the program we have been busy with schoolwork and traveling so it was nice to be able to unwind and simply enjoy the beautiful scenery around us in Cinque Terre.

After our trip to Cinque Terre, we embarked for Paris. We arrived late in the evening after long train and plane rides and managed to navigate the subway system and find our hostel on the other side of Paris without much trouble. Luckily, it was much easier than we imagined, and I think Americans could learn a thing or two from the ease and convenience of European public transportation. No trip to Paris is complete without a visit to the Eiffel Tower so despite the rainy weather, we were able to go to the very top of the structure and see the whole city. It is a definite “must-see” attraction for anyone visiting. While in Paris, we also visited the Arc de Triomphe, Sacre-Coeur, the Louvre, the opera house, Notre Dame, and Moulin Rouge. Furthermore, I participated in some souvenir shopping and also enjoyed a chocolate and banana crepe. Yum! I would have to say that Paris is my second favorite city from the trip.

It is bittersweet to be home now. I had a wonderful time during my study abroad trip and my learning extended beyond the textbooks. My experience abroad taught me more about myself and made me more appreciative and understanding of other cultures. I am ecstatic to see family and friends and indulge in a few American luxuries like ice in beverages, J but I will miss the European way of life and the friends I made there.

This was my first time to write blog posts so I hope you have enjoyed reading about my travel adventures. Have a wonderful summer!

Cinque Terre: Vernazza

Sacre-Coeur Church in Paris

Top deck of the Eiffel Tower

Eiffel Tower at night

Arrivederci,

Ashley

Ashley's Going to Italy!

Week One in Italy

Week Two in Review

Week Three

Ashley Jancuska - Week Three

2011-07-01T13:46:00.000-05:00

This summer, the Walton College is proud to feature Ashley Jancuska, who will be guest-blogging for us while she embarks on a Study Abroad experience in Italy. Ashley will be sending posts and pictures so we can hear all about this unique opportunity. Links to her previous posts can be found at the bottom of this entry.

We just finished our third week of classes. I cannot believe how fast time has flown. This week was again packed with schoolwork. My medical school application materials were also due this week, so ensuring that these materials made it to the States added more stress.

In Global Consumer, we switched our studies to Africa, discussing the political and business environments, the vast differences in the countries on this continent, and the impact of foreign aid on these economies. Our afternoon class session provided an opportunity to leave Paderno and visit Hausbrandt, an Italian coffee company which also operates a brewery called Theresianer. It was fascinating to see how both factories functioned. In the brewery division, the company uses only four ingredients: hops, water, malt, and yeast. We then got to tour the Theresianer factory, which contains giant tanks that are used for mixing, heating, and storing the products, and also see the beer packaging facility. Theresianer does not sell many bottles of beer but instead concentrates on its keg sales. Each metal keg has a barcode on it to track where it has been around Italy and the world. Using machines, each keg is sanitized, refilled, and sent to its next destination. On our tour of Hausbrandt, I was again amazed at how automated the process was. There were very few workers present throughout the facility. After the coffee beans were roasted and subsequently cooled they were packaged into air-tight bags to be sold. After the conclusion of the tour, they kindly treated us to a Hausbrandt cappuccino.

In my second class, we continued our discussion of the international business environment. This week we focused on how differences in culture can make or break a business deal. We put this knowledge to use when we analyzed the strategic alliance between an Italian firm, Fiat, and an Indian firm, Tata.

On our last travel weekend, we toured Rome. We couldn’t have asked for better weather as it was bright and sunny, but never extremely hot. It definitely earned the title as my favorite Italian city because there was just so much to see. Naturally, we had to visit the Vatican and St. Peter’s. The basilica was gorgeous with marble statutes more than 20 feet tall. It was quite possibly the prettiest church I have ever seen and was full of history. The huge mosaics that lined some of the walls and the hand laid tiles on the floor are just two examples of the intricate attention to detail. Afterward, we climbed the dome at St. Peter’s. Beware that this adventure is not for anyone who is claustrophobic. J The stairs at some parts were literally a foot and a half wide at a maximum, and the ceiling and walls were curved. However, the trek was worth it because the top of the dome offered expansive breathtaking views of the Vatican gardens and the city of Rome, making the hot and tiring climb well worth it. We then went to the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel, spending a few hours just absorbing the art. According to a recommendation in the Rick Steves’ travel book, we didn't go to the museum until the early afternoon, and as a result, the crowds had subsided from the morning when people waited 2 hours to get in, and we didn't have to wait in line for a minute. Later that night, we did the night tour of Rome that Rick Steves also recommended. We visited the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona, and Pantheon. All of these sites were incredibly pretty at night, and I definitely recommend taking this tour if you ever visit Rome. The next day we visited the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill. We got a tour at the Colosseum from an official tour guide at the site, and it was a great investment. It was cool to learn all about the history of the venue and gain a better understanding of its structure and many uses both past and present.

Now that I am back in Paderno, I am off to start preparing for my final papers, presentations, and exams that the last week of class always brings…

Standing in front of St. Peter's Basilica

Colosseum

Trevi Fountain

Pantheon

Ciao,

Ashley

Previous Posts:
Ashley's Going to Italy!
Week One in Italy
Week Two in Review

Look Who Cooked up a Win

2011-06-27T14:27:00.000-05:00

Thanks to everyone who came out to support our celebrity "caterers" and the Walton College Alumni Society Scholarship last Thursday night in North Little Rock. Our first Bon Appetit event in central Arkansas was a lot of fun!

Commemorative recipe booklets

Meredith Johnson (BA '94), Shey Anderson (BSBA '97), Chris Johnson (BSBA '93), and Dean Dan Worrell

Smoked pulled pork sliders from the "Crews'in through Finance" team

Argenta Market Smoked Salmon Crostinis

Cream Cheese Brownies by "The Dogtown Delicacies" team

Muffuletta dip

Buckley O'Mell (BSBA '02), Nick Thicksten (BSBA '08), and Nathan Rutledge (BSBA '06)

Shey's Summer Sangria

Matt Chandler (BSBA '92) and Greg Nabholz (BSBA '88, MBA '90) receive the Silver Fork Award from Dean Dan Worrell

Shan Russell (BSBA '90) and Chris Johnson (BSBA '93) receive the Gold Fork Award from Dean Dan Worrell

Associate Deans Javier Reyes (far left) and Moez Limayem (far right), along with Dean Dan Worrell, present the Dean's Choice Award to Shey Anderson (BSBA '97)

Celebrity caterers!

Celebrity Caterer Spotlight: Tis the Season for Sangria

2011-06-22T10:43:00.001-05:00

It's officially summer. And it's officially hot.

Alumna Shey Anderson (BSBA '97) hopes to use this to her advantage and woo Bon Appetit participants this week with her Summer Sangria recipe. Anderson, a human resources manager at UAMS, is putting her own resources to use to create this tasty beverage. Will she use white or red wine? No one knows! But either is bound to hit the spot tomorrow night.

If you're planning to attend the event, please remember to register today. Registration is easy and can be completed online. Each admission to the event comes with five voting tokens, but additional tokens may be purchased before or during the event for $1 each. They're tax deductible and support the Walton College Alumni Society Scholarship fund - a need-based scholarship modeled after the University of Arkansas' Access Arkansas program. To purchase early votes, simply email alumni@walton.uark.edu.

Celebrity Caterer Spotlight: Crews'in through Finance

2011-06-20T09:27:00.000-05:00

The financial industry might be a bit shaky these days, but teammates Nathan Rutledge (BSBA '06, JD '09) and Cam Deacon (BSBA '05) plan to "Crews" through Bon Appetit this week with their Smoked Pulled Pork Sliders and bring home the bacon (in votes, that is).

Rutledge, who works for Crews and Associates in Little Rock, is serving as a team captain with Deacon as his copilot. The pair hope you will consider attending the event on June 23 and help them slide into first place with their mini-sandwiches, which come topped with coleslaw and barbecue sauce.

Mouth watering already? Give the "Crews'in through Finance" team a leg-up on the competition by voting early to support their recipe. Each admission to the event comes with five voting tokens, but additional tokens may be purchased before or during the event for $1 each. They're tax deductible and support the Walton College Alumni Society Scholarship fund - a need-based scholarship modeled after the University of Arkansas' Access Arkansas program.

Email alumni@walton.uark.edu to buy early votes. Register online for the event by following this link.

Katie Terrell - Brazil Wrap-Up

2011-06-18T12:39:00.000-05:00

This summer, the Walton College is proud to feature Katie Terrell, who will be guest-blogging for us while she embarks on a Study Abroad experience in Brazil. Katie will be sending posts and pictures so we can hear all about this unique opportunity. Links to her previous posts can be found at the bottom of this entry.

The amazing three weeks in Rio are up, and it was a frenzy of inspiring lectures, mind-blowing sight-seeing and, of course, copious samplings of the local cuisine.The sun was almost always shining, the food delicious, the city beautiful, and the lectures amazing.

We were fortunate to hear from people of many different walks of life and ages, giving us the opportunity to be presented with a variety of opinions about Brazil’s current political and economic environment and how it will (or won’t) improve. All of the information proved even more impactful in front of a backdrop of actually walking through the streets of Rio de Janeiro every day.

The mix of traditional lecture with getting to know the neighborhoods and seeing the sights was a great way to catch a genuine glimpse of what doing business in Brazil is like. Even when just on a city tour, one can’t help but think about the interconnectivity of Brazil’s history, location, and beauty making its current international position what it is.

Brazil’s natural beauty and fortune became quickly apparent from atop the beautiful Sugar Loaf, Pão de Açúcar, in Portuguese. This is “that hill” – the one that’s in the background of almost every picture of Rio de Janeiro, and it is just as spectacular as the post cards make it out to be.

We took cable cars to the top and found enough quaint little shops and restaurants between the two big hills to fulfill any tourist’s dreams, and the views were perfectly clear and beautiful from every angle.

We wandered around a trail that would eventually wind all the way down the mountain, when all of a sudden we came across all of these monkeys! They were just playing and playing, and it was so beautiful. Walking along the trail on top of the peak and then around the bottom alongside the ocean, it was interesting to think about the different things people take for granted depending on where they are from and how they were brought up. Can you ever “get used” to the view of Rio from the Sugar Loaf? Can sitting on the beach and listening to the waves ever become mundane and commonplace?

I can’t believe the trip was only three weeks, and that it was over so soon. I hate that I fell behind in updating the blog, but rest assured knowing it was because I was taking every last second to fill my time and my mind (and my camera’s memory card!) with extraordinary experiences. From comparing Sao Paulo to Rio de Janeiro, from sunny beach days to rainy museum visits, from classroom lectures to wandering the halls of the Brazilian stock exchange and car dealerships, and from not knowing a soul on the trip to forging close friendships and powerful connections, I know that the memories will stay vividly with me for a while. I anxiously await my next visit (who’s interested in going for the World Cup in 2014?!), and until then, will keep the pictures in my mind and will follow the news to watch Brazil as it continues to grow and succeed as a phenomenal country in a beautiful world.

Katie

Katie's Going to Brazil!

Week One in Brazil

Celebrity Caterer Spotlight: To Market, To Market

2011-06-17T13:38:00.000-05:00

Team captain Greg Nabholz (BSBA '88, MBA '90), known for his love of the Argenta area of North Little Rock, is putting his recipe where his mouth is by supporting a local business in the process. He, along with teammates James Burks (BSBA '89) and Matt Chandler (BSBA '92), plan to create Argenta Market Smoked Salmon Crostinis for the event next week on June 23.

We'd venture to bet that Greg has been out at the Market rallying votes already. In fact, his team is already in the lead in the pre-voting round! (Sounds like it's good to be known in the neighborhood).

If you're curious what all the excitement is about, register online for our event by following this link. Every admission to the event comes with five voting tokens, but additional tokens can be purchased before or during the event for $1 each. They're tax deductible and support the Walton College Alumni Society Scholarship fund, which seeks to raise $50,000 for a need-based scholarship by next spring. Email alumni@walton.uark.edu if you decide to purchase early votes for Greg's team or any of the others that are competing!

Celebrity Caterer Spotlight: The Dogtown Delicacies

2011-06-16T13:38:00.000-05:00

Friends. Neighbors. Fellow board members.

Chris Johnson (BSBA '93) and Shan Russell (BSBA '90) are all three of these things and one more: a team known as "The Dogtown Delicacies" who plan to take our Bon Appetit event by storm with their Cream Cheese Brownies.

Walton College grads Chris Johnson (left) and Shan Russell (right)

This team is one of two representing North Little Rock (known to the locals as "Dogtown") at the Walton College event on June 23. They're hoping that their home field advantage (the event is being hosted at Chris's home) and baking prowess prove to be the winning combination for a victory next Thursday night.

If you'd like to see how they hold up against the competition, register online to attend the event next week. Can't attend? Or just really want to support "The Dogtown Delicacies" and their Cream Cheese Brownies? Cast early votes for the team by sending an email to alumni@walton.uark.edu.

Votes are already coming in, folks, so don't sit back and watch your favorite team get defeated!

Celebrity Caterer Spotlight: Dip, Dip, Hooray!

2011-06-15T08:48:00.000-05:00

Walton College grad Buckley O'Mell

Next week, teammates Buckley O'Mell (BSBA '02, JD '05), Nick Thicksten (BSBA '08), and Rich Richardson (BSBA '03) will compete for your votes in the Walton College's Bon Appetit event in North Little Rock. These alumni hope to win you over with their Muffuletta Dip, which combines all of the tasty ingredients of a muffuletta sandwich into a creamy concoction that's perfect for dipping.

If you'd like to beat the summer heat by taking a dip into this tasty recipe, be sure to join us for the event on June 23. Buckley's team's recipe will be available as part of our commemorative recipe booklet that will be given to all guests.

And, if you find yourself crazy for their creation, be sure to support it by voting. Every admission to the event comes with five voting tokens, but additional tokens may be purchased before or during the event for $1 each. They're tax deductible and support our Walton College Alumni Society Scholarship fund - a win/win for everyone!

Email alumni@walton.uark.edu to buy early votes. Register online for the event by following this link.

Ashley Jancuska - Week Two in Review

2011-06-13T08:55:00.000-05:00

On Monday, my Global Consumer class visited La Ceramica VBC, which is located in a small Italian town called Nove. My peers and I witnessed the construction of pieces of pottery from simple clay to the final, glazed product that sells under the brands of Pottery Barn, Tiffany & Co., Lenox, and Williams-Sonoma to name a few. A number of mosaic pieces capturing the Italian countryside are also produced at La Ceramica. Each piece of pottery is unique and created by hand at the Italian factory and then shipped internationally. The company visit was a great opportunity to learn how Italians conduct business and then compare and contrast that to our study of conducting business in

China

. We also had our first exam in Global Consumer this week, testing our knowledge of the Chinese business environment and Chinese consumer lifestyles based off of our reading and discussion of Mr. China and recent articles published on these topics.

Pottery from La Ceramica

This week in International Business Environment we continued our study of the economic, political, and cultural factors that affect a company’s decisions to go global and then where to locate its international operations. To reinforce this knowledge, we split into groups and wrote a paper analyzing the strategic and operational successes and failures in Disney’s decision to open up an amusement park in Hong Kong.

After the conclusion of classes on Thursday, CIMBA students again packed their bags and set off to explore more of Europe. Nearly 50 of us ended up traveling to Florence for the long weekend. Coincidentally, our travel break also fell on the national holiday so the sights were packed with vacationing Italians in addition to the regular influx of tourists. When we arrived in Florence, I was struck by the amazing art and history of the city. One of the finest examples of architecture in the city was the Duomo. The intricate attention to detail and immense size of the structure was incredible. While in Florence, we also visited the Accademia Gallery, witnessing some of the greatest works of art from the region including Michelangelo’s statue of David. (Sorry, I don’t have any pictures to post because cameras were not allowed in the museum.) We capped off the visit with a trip to the Ponte Vecchio, which is lined with gold shops and offers stunning views of the city. Now, we are headed back to Paderno del Grappa for another week of classes.

Duomo

Giant doors at the Duomo

View from the Ponte Vecchio Bridge

Arrivederci,

Ashley

Ashley's Going to Italy!

Week One in Italy

Lindsey Price - Week Two in Greece (and a Little Time in Rome)

2011-06-09T10:34:00.000-05:00

After the first week in Greece, we continued having daily class, but afternoons were a lot less structured once we knew our way around Athens. Everyone really enjoyed experiencing the culture of Glyfada and Athens on these days. Some went into Syntagma square to go shopping and hang out while others stayed near our hotel to relax on the beach! On Tuesday, the staff at our hotel prepared a traditional Greek meal for us consisting of Greek salad, moussaka (made of ground eggplant, cheese, tomatoes, and potatoes on top), soulvaki (pork on a stick), French fries, tsaziki sauce with pitas, and ice cream for dessert. Greek food is very different from traditional American food, but still quite tasty. However, after a week of nothing but Greek food, we all were craving something American, and luckily we found a burger place near our hotel. We have been repeat customers at this place so many times, that they created a "happy hour" special just for our group.

Class continued as usual this week and all the groups finished chapter presentations in order to prepare for our final projects which will be given later this week.

We had a free weekend and most people stayed around our hotel and played on the beach (it was beautiful weather)! However, a few of the boys decided to go to Sparta (about 4 hours away by bus). Here they saw the statue the Leonidas, who was a famous Spartan general who fought the Persian army. They also went to some museums and saw the acropolis of ancient Sparta. Lastly, they went to a Spartan theatre which was where the Spartans trained their warriors.

Monday was a free day from class, so we decided to go to the National Archaeological Museum, the Benaki museum, and Cycladic museum. All of these were very different, but also amazing. The National Archaeological Museum is one of the most famous museums in the world. It was home to many ancient statues, ancient jewelry, and clothing from the B.C era. The Cycladic museum has art from the bronze age, as well as ancient Greek art.

For the weekend, the group went to Rome! Italy is a completely different culture than Greece and was absolutely incredible. We went to the Colosseum, Pantheon, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain and Vatican City all in 3 days. We loved being in a new city and having a change of pace as well as a break from class. On the first, we went to a wine cellar/restaurant where we all ordered traditional Italian pizza! After dinner, we walked around the city and got to experience the night life of Rome. This day also happened to be "Republic Day" which is similar to our 4th of July, so there were a ton of things going on. Unfortunately, the vacation was short lived, and we all returned to our temporary home in Athens on Sunday.

This week is going to be preparation for our final projects and enjoying our final days in Athens before we leave for Santorini on Saturday morning. None of us can believe that it has already been 3 weeks, and we will be home in less than one week! This has been an incredible experience so far, and the best is yet to come. Thanks for reading!

Lindsey Price

Lindsey's Going to Greece!

Week One in Greece

Save the Date (and room for dessert)!

2011-06-07T14:44:00.001-05:00

Hosted by

David (BSBA '78, MBA '79) & Fenner Russell (BA '75, MBA '79)

and the Walton College Alumni Society

124 West Prospect Street

Fayetteville, AR

Benefitting the Walton College Alumni Society Scholarship Fund

$30 for Arkansas Alumni Association members

$35 for non-members

The Walton College Alumni Society is cooking up plans for the third annual Bon Appetit event, which will showcase the hidden talents of our alumni and provide support for a needs-based scholarship. This is not your typical business networking reception! We have scouted out the Walton College’s finest foodies in Northwest Arkansas to compete for top-chef status and will be donating a portion of ticket sales to the Walton College Alumni Society Scholarship. So rather than sitting at home and watching celebrity chefs and food competitions on television, come out to enjoy an evening with fellow graduates. A ticket to the event will guarantee an evening of good food, drinks, networking opportunities and, best of all, support for a good cause.

Here is how it works. Our celebrity caterers will dust off their famous family recipes, slave over their stoves, and make your mouths water with their delectable treats. All you have to do is come to the event, eat, drink, and vote on your favorite. Your admission to the event will grant you (5) tokens to use for voting. If five tokens just isn’t enough to express your epicurean preferences, you may purchase more at the event. You’ll feel good about all those extra votes since all of the proceeds will directly benefit the scholarship fund (and are tax deductible)!

A registration link will be available in the coming weeks. Check back here for information or follow the event page on Facebook.

Follow our blog to get periodic sneak peaks of our celebrity caterers and their recipes for success!

Chuck Dudley - Dressing for Success in Today's Culture

2011-06-03T12:28:00.002-05:00

Chuck and his wife, Martha, live in Hot Springs and have two sons, Robert, a 2010 Information Systems graduate of the Walton College, and Thomas, currently enrolled in the Walton College. Chuck, Robert, and Thomas are members of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. Chuck is a Past President of the Arkansas Alumni Association, and currently is Past President of the Walton College Alumni Society.

For sure, things have changed a lot since I first began my business career as a stockbroker with AG Edwards in 1977. You were expected to wear suits, usually 3 piece suits, every day. The uniform of the day was Wall Street, and it was expected.

Obviously, it’s not that way today as “business casual” seems to be the norm, even in most banks I work with.

But, that doesn’t mean casual dressing is sloppy dressing, or even “fashionable dressing”. It means that each company has a code, and you should adhere to that code. After all, you work for them, so they have the right to expect proper dress for the business you are in. And, ultimately, it is what the customer expects of you. I suspect that Wall Street types still wear the conservative suits, because it is expected of them.

Here are some thoughts, from an “old school” perspective!

DRESS CONSERVATIVELY

Of course, I am addressing the business perspective. To me, if you want to be fashionable, do it on your own time. For instance: you see the guys on ESPN wearing lavender shirts and ties all the time, and a lot of sports figures will wear black shirts and black ties. Carlo Ancelotti of the Chelsea Football Club comes to mind!

Don’t do this! A man should have a supply of long-sleeve dress shirts, preferably in blue and white, and blue and red vertical stripes. Silk ties, with conservative patterns and rep stripes are appropriate.

Suits should be navy, charcoal, gray, with a variation of small pinstripes. Black belt, black shoes (polished of course) and a nice watch. (I know, most young people use their cell phones to tell time, but a classy watch accents a well dressed business person.)

In my mind, there is no such thing as a “short sleeved dress shirt”, and brown shoes are not going to give me a good impression. If you are wearing khakis, cordovan or oxblood shoes are what I would do. (although I have an affinity for dirty bucs!)

In all cases, neatness, with shirttails in is expected. Pressed pants and laundered shirts look the best.

For young ladies, conservative dress is still appropriate. It is certainly easier for men to dress, given that ladies fashion constantly changes. But, you are dressing for a job you have to do, and not a night on the town. So refrain from revealing dress, show that you are a professional from the word go. The company you work for will give you guidance on what constitutes appropriate dress. When in doubt, err on the conservative side.

CASUAL DRESSING

As previously mentioned, casual dress is the norm. If a company allows you to wear jeans, no holes in them please. Always remember, the customer is who will see you and make a judgment about you and your company. It’s been said, you never get a second chance to make a first impression, and it’s certainly true.

Ultimately, it’s about respect for the company you work for and the standards they set for you, and what you set for yourself.

Styles change over the years, but I would recommend looking at Lands End, Jos A Banks, Dillard's and other similar catalogs for suggestions on business dress for both men and women.

As always, these are just my random thoughts from 34 years of banking, investments, insurance, trust, and general financial services business.

Hope it’s helpful, make a great first impression!

Next month, we’ll take a look at “Building Your Network”. It is a major emphasis of mine and I’m very passionate about it. The U of A is the best network in Arkansas, and we will explore how to use that network.

Wednesdays with Walton

2011-06-02T11:55:00.000-05:00

On June 1, the Walton College hosted another "Wednesdays with Walton" alumni networking event at PF Chang's in Rogers. "Wednesdays with Walton" take place quarterly in northwest Arkansas and alternate between locations in Benton County and Washington County. Stay tuned to find out where the August event will take place!

If you are an alumnus living in northwest Arkansas and have not heard about these events yet, please make sure your contact information is up-to-date by filling out this online form.

Dave Proffitt (BSBA '08) and Trisha McRoberts (MBA '07) and additional guests

Dave Proffitt (BSBA '08), Amanda Jones (BSBA '08), Laura Ladd Poff (BSBA '09), Mary Broglen (BA '09), and Craig Blanchard (BSBA '98)

Walton College PhD students - Orhun Guldiken, Daanish Pestonjee, Emilija Djurdjevic, and Shannon Rawski

Andre Tucker (MBA '07) and Trisha McRoberts (MBA '07)

Ashley Jancuska - Week One in Italy

2011-05-31T09:12:00.008-05:00

This summer, the Walton College is proud to feature Ashley Jancuska, who will be guest-blogging for us while she embarks on a Study Abroad experience in Italy. Ashley will be sending posts and pictures so we can hear all about this unique opportunity. Links to her previous posts can be found at the bottom of this entry.

Week 1 is in the books...

I can’t believe that I have been in Italy for a week already. The travel to get to Paderno del Grappa, where the CIMBA campus is located, was a little rough with many long layovers, but I am here now and am loving the Italian culture. This charming little town offers breathtaking views of Mount Grappa and kind hospitality from the locals.

A view of the campus in Paderno del Grappa

I am in two classes: Global Consumer (with the University of Arkansas’s own Dr. Rapert) and International Business Environment. These classes meet once a day plus one long afternoon class per week which can range from lectures to company visits in surrounding towns to learn more about Italian culture and business practices. In addition to schoolwork on campus, the program also provides opportunities to travel to nearby towns – like Bassano del Grappa, Possagno, Castelfranco, and Marostica – during your free afternoons. This past week I got to travel to Asolo, a slightly larger city also nestled in the Dolomites, and discover a glimpse of the Italian way of life. The city also offers a fantastic view of the surrounding towns from the top of the castle of Queen Cornaro and a tasty pizzeria with amusing Italian waiters.

Scenic street near the Asolo town square

After attending class this week, many students spent the weekend discovering other parts of Italy. Destinations ranged from Cinque Terre to Florence to Rome. My group successfully maneuvered the Italian train system and traveled to Venice. Absolutely captivated by the beauty of the city, I was amazed that Venice is exactly as it is pictured in postcards with canals, gondolas, and picturesque houses lining the water. While there, we toured St. Mark’s Basilica; visited the Bridge of Sighs, Rialto Bridge, and Doge’s Palace; and of course, indulged in the gelato. There are no cars on the island and the best way to get around in Venice is by foot; careful navigation of the tiny alleyways is important as many are no more than two or three feet wide. With a slow pace of life, Venice was an incredible opportunity to get lost in the history and culture, relax, and simply enjoy the incredible scenery.
St. Mark's Basilica in Venice

It’s time to get back to the schoolwork.

Ciao,
Ashley

Previous Posts:
Ashley's Going to Italy!

Katie Terrell - Week One in Brazil

2011-05-27T20:49:00.000-05:00

******************

Roughly 6:00 a.m., Rio de Janeiro time, May 23rd, on the flight from Charlotte to Rio:

We are about an hour away from beginning our initial descent into Rio de Janeiro, and this still feels unreal! The flight has been one of the easiest international flights I’ve ever taken - usually I’m ready to peel my skin off from jitters, and that’s not even counting the intermittent panic attacks spurned by the unexpected turbulence and the fear of creating blood clots in each of my legs from sitting still for too long. But this time, the perfect collaboration of a window seat, over-priced in-flight merlot, and NyQuil gave me a sound night’s sleep. So now, one coffee and one cinnamon cake later, I am ready to take on the world! Well, we’ll start with taking on Rio, anyway.

Side note, somehow every time I travel, I end up right next to the wing. Same story now. But if I lean forward and squint past the sun glaring off of the wing, and then turn my head just right, I can catch a glimpse of Brazil as we fly over, and it is gorgeous!

It’s already been an interesting adventure in language - even before stepping foot on foreign terrain. I’m sitting next to a young man named Henrique from Brazil. After several futile attempts to speak each other’s languages in every possibly combination, we had worn out the sundry phrases we had prepared, and sat silent in frustration for a bit. Then I said, “Hey, listen - I speak Spanish - so if you speak Portuguese slowly, and I speak Spanish slowly, we can try to communicate. Go ahead, speak in Portuguese.” His whole composure melted with relief as he smiled and stammered a very grateful, “Obrigado!” Things are looking up.

******************

About 10:30 am, Rio de Janeiro time, bus between airplane and our hotel in Rio

Successfully through the myriad of potential debacles in the airport (immigration, customs, luggage, security, and of course, language barriers), we are now in a van from the airport to our home for the next three weeks - the Rio neighborhood, Arpoador. The first music playing on the radio in the van? Cheesy English songs, “Listen to Your Heart,” and then “Lucky.” While we had to laugh, I can’t help but think that on some higher plane, the titles alone are speaking beautifully to my current Rio emotions. We as a group somehow did listen to our hearts, and we are lucky as can be to be in beautiful Brazil right now - Ordem e Progresso, indeed. As “Lucky” plays, we, with our exorbitant amounts of U.S. luggage, on our way to our hotel on the beach in between Ipanema and Copacabana, with fresh minds and our right to the the pursuit of happiness and perfect luck, are being escorted past the poverty of the favelas - with walls dividing the streets from the poverty. Why? To protect the impending Rio Olympics athletes and fans from seeing the reality of the economic disparity.

******************

While that ends abruptly, there’s no soft way to end it and gently transition into where we are comfortable. The truth is hard, it is often ugly, and here in Rio de Janeiro, like so many places in the world, the distance between the poor and the wealthy is a constant, in-your-face reality, and is maintained by a history of political corruption, tradition breeding classism, and a terrible infrastructure problem throughout the country.

I have many, many more notes, and will share more of my adventures, as well as some commentary on the political and economic environment of Brazil soon! While I am in Rio living the dream, I am keenly aware of the horrible weather that’s occurred in Northwest Arkansas and Missouri lately. My thoughts and prayers are at home. Everyone stay safe!

Katie

Previous Posts:
Katie's Going to Brazil!

Lindsey Price - Week One in Greece

2011-05-26T09:29:00.005-05:00

This summer, the Walton College is proud to feature Lindsey Price, who will be guest-blogging for us while she embarks on a Study Abroad experience in Greece. Lindsey will be sending posts and pictures over the next several weeks so we can hear all about this unique opportunity. Links to her previous posts are located at the bottom of this entry.

Hey everyone, here is my first post from Greece! We all left America on Tuesday, with the exception of a few students who got to come early.

Wednesday: Everyone arrived in athens on Wednesday, and we all met at the airport. After getting our bags, we took buses to our hotel in Glyfada (a suburb south of Athens). Once we were all settled in, we went as a group to Zaxo's, which is always a favorite of University of Arkansas students.

Thursday: Thursday was our first class and we went over the basics of e-commerce and global business modeling. After class we took a trip to Syntagma square, which is in the center of Athens and about 30 minutes from our hotel. While we were there, we saw the parliament building, went to the flea market, and had a traditional Greek lunch. The restaurant employees were all standing outside trying to get our group to come in, so Dr. Douglas bartered with them to make the best deal. During lunch, everyone ordered different Greek dishes, and we all tasted Ouzo for the first time; Ouzo is the trademark drink of Greece and tastes very similar to black licorice. After lunch, people stayed around the square to explore and go shopping.

Friday: On Friday, we had our second class and worked on our group projects for each of the courses. We had the day off after class, and the group went to the beach that is only about a block from our hotel. We played volleyball, layed in the sun, and interacted with some locals.

Saturday: We woke up bright and early on Saturday morning to begin our tour of many of Athens' most favorite sites. We began by going to the Acropolis where we saw the Parthenon (temple of Greek goddess, Athena), the Acropolis museum, the rock from which Paul preached the gospels, and many other very historical buildings and sites.

Sunday: We had the day off on Sunday, and the group split up to do a plethora of different activities. Some people decided to go shopping in Glyfada, some went back to Syntagma square, and others chose to relax on the beach.

Monday: On Monday, we presented our countries papers, which we wrote prior to arriving in Greece. It was very interesting to see how other countries in Europe compare to Greece. Also, Monica Holland [from the University of Arkansas] arrived on Monday to observe what study abroad is really all about. After class, we took a bus to the Temple of Poseiden. This god's temple looks out over the Aegean sea. Once we had finished our tour of the temple, some people chose to jump off the cliffs in to the sea, which was a large adrenaline rush.

Tuesday: Tuesday was another day of class and some people presented their lessons for the group. Also, we had an interesting discussion on ethics led by Dr. Holland. We had the afternoon off after class. Students spent their days at the beach, shopping in town, and visiting different museums.

Wednesday: In lieu of class on Wednesday, we visited two local companies to learn about conducting business in Greece. Our first company was Microsoft; here we learned the basics of Greek business and we learned about Microsoft's newest innovations, the Kinect game console and the Microsoft phone 7. Next, we went to the US embassy in Athens. Here we watched two presentations. One of them was about how to get involved in the foreign service industry. This seemed very interesting and like a great opportunity for anyone who may be interested.

Thanks for reading! I'll post again next week with more updates from Greece!

Lindsey Price

Previous Posts:
Lindsey's Going to Greece!

Save the Date, Central Arkansas (and room for dessert)!

2011-05-25T15:31:00.000-05:00

That's right! The Walton College is taking its annual Bon Appetit event on the road. Save the date if you live in Central Arkansas!

Hosted by

Chris (BSBA '93) & Meredith Johnson

and the Walton College Alumni Society

2925 Overbrook Circle

North Little Rock, AR

Benefitting the Walton College Alumni Society Scholarship Fund

$30 for Arkansas Alumni Association members

$35 for non-members

The Walton College Alumni Society is cooking up plans for another Bon Appetit event - this time for the first time in Central Arkansas - which will showcase the hidden talents of our alumni and provide support for a needs-based scholarship. This is not your typical business networking reception! We have scouted out the Walton College’s finest foodies in Central Arkansas to compete for top-chef status and will be donating a portion of ticket sales to the Walton College Alumni Society Scholarship. So rather than sitting at home and watching celebrity chefs and food competitions on television, come out to enjoy an evening with fellow graduates. A ticket to the event will guarantee an evening of good food, drinks, networking opportunities and, best of all, support for a good cause.

Here is how it works. Our celebrity caterers will dust off their famous family recipes, slave over their stoves, and make your mouths water with their delectable treats. All you have to do is come to the event, eat, drink, and vote on your favorite. Your admission to the event will grant you (5) tokens to use for voting. If five tokens just isn’t enough to express your epicurean preferences, you may purchase more at the event. You’ll feel good about all those extra votes since all of the proceeds will directly benefit the scholarship fund (and are tax deductable)!

A registration link will be available in the coming weeks. Check back here for information or follow the event page on Facebook.

Follow our blog to get periodic sneak peaks of our celebrity caterers and their recipes for success!

Ashley's Going to Italy!

2011-05-23T09:03:00.000-05:00

My name is Ashley Jancuska, and I am now officially a senior at the University of Arkansas. I am a finance, pre-med major from Dallas, Texas, and will be studying abroad in Paderno del Grappa, Italy, this summer through the CIMBA program. Words cannot begin to describe how excited I am for this experience, but I am anxious and nervous about the long journey ahead of me to get to campus. This study abroad program is open to students across the country, and around 260 students will be participating (including 15 fellow Razorbacks). I am excited for what the summer has in store, but first I must frantically pack my bags and head to the airport in about an hour to catch my 5:45 am flight. Looks like I pulled another all-nighter… :)

See you in Italy,
Ashley

Click here to read more about the CIMBA study abroad program.

Katie's Going to Brazil!

2011-05-19T09:36:00.003-05:00

Hi! I’m Katie Terrell, an MMBA student with the Walton College. I’ll complete my first year with the master’s program this year and am excited to have the opportunity to study International Economics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for three weeks to complement my studies. I’ve been a Fayetteville girl my whole life – born and raised – but I left to attend the University of Central Arkansas for my undergraduate degree in 2003. I studied Spanish and English at UCA and got my first taste of studying abroad in 2005 on a summer trip to Costa Rica. After Costa Rica, I knew I hadn’t had enough of Latin America, so a group of friends and I quickly found another program for the following semester, and I ended up spending the summer of 2006 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Once I graduated, I was one more starry-eyed girl with an English degree, ready to take over the world with my Liberal Arts knowledge. So, naturally, I ended up selling cell phones and t-shirts until I could escape to South America again, this time to teach English in Chile. I ended up teaching two semesters of English at a little technical college on the coast before coming back to Fayetteville to work at Tyson Foods. So far teaching in Chile has been the experience of a lifetime, but I look forward to filling my future with many experiences that will top it!

I’ve been back in Fayetteville for three and a half years, and I work in the IS Department at Tyson as a Training Specialist. I love being back home in Fayetteville and am having a great time working with Tyson and getting my master’s from the University of Arkansas. Although my time outside of studying and working is scarce, when I do have free moments I read, laugh, and enjoy the Arkansas seasons. If it’s nice weather, I can be found either reading alone or laughing with friends on a patio. In the cold weather, I like to be curled up with a book next to a fireplace. When I have lots of free time, I try to travel to South America. When I have just minutes of free time, I tend to dream of South America. Hence this trip to Brazil.

We leave in less than a week, and I did a “practice run” of packing all of my suitcases and running it up the stairs a couple times last night… my travel rule #1 is never pack a bag heavier than you can lift. J

I am thrilled to have this chance to share my experiences in Brazil on the Walton College blog. The excitement of studying abroad for me is heightened by the location – if I could hand-pick a location to study international business issues, my first choice would be Rio de Janeiro. I can’t wait to learn more about how the American and Brazilian economic and corporate environments are related and how they work together – and how they differ. I hope that I can share with you a glimpse of how business is done differently on the international stage, and I also hope that I can convey the magic of South America that keeps drawing me back – heart, mind, and soul.

Katie

Click here to learn more about the Business Seminar program in Brazil.

Lindsey's Going to Greece!

2011-05-17T11:22:00.003-05:00

Can't wait for Lindsey's next post? Reminisce by reading posts from our guest bloggers who studied abroad in Greece in 2009 and 2010.

Click here to learn more about the Business Seminar program in Greece.

Congrats to the Class of 2011!

2011-05-16T08:50:00.000-05:00

Dean Dan Worrell with commencement speaker Mary Ann Greenwood

Dean Dan Worrell, Mary Ann Greenwood, and Chancellor Dave Gearhart

Dr. John Norwood leads the processional into Barnhill Arena

Walton College faculty, staff, and students listen to Andrea Heying sing "America the Beautiful"

Listening to Dr. Greenwood's commencement address

Let the celebration begin! Congrats, graduates!

IBM Presentation Highlights 100 Years of Innovation

2011-05-09T10:01:00.000-05:00

The department of information systems in the Sam M. Walton College of Business sponsored “IBM Strategies for Emerging Markets,” a presentation highlighting IBM’s centennial and leadership in emerging and growth market strategies Thursday in the Donald D. Reynolds Center for Enterprise Development. Jim Stallings, general manager of the global markets, systems and technology group for IBM was the speaker of the event.

The presentation was a part of a year-long global initiative in celebration of the 100-year anniversary of IBM’s founding on June 16, 1911. IBM will use this milestone to engage with business leaders, academia, clients and local communities in the 170 countries where the company does business to explore the critical topics that impact our planet today and into the future.

Since its founding in 1911, IBM has generated strong financial results and changed global business and technology. LASIK, magnetic strips on credit cards, universal barcodes, the PC, automated traffic flow and cow registries are only a handful of the many IBM innovations that helped shape the last century.

During his presentation, Stallings gave three important business lessons from IBM history. The first lesson involved the need for companies to adapt to changes in the global economy. In the last hundred years, IBM has grown from an American-based firm, to a multinational firm, to a globally integrated enterprise. There is no such thing as a local company anymore, Stallings told University of Arkansas students. It is absolutely necessary to “present yourself globally as a common brand,” he said. The second lesson presented from IBM history is that technology is always advancing. IBM began in a tabulating era that quickly shifted to a computing era. According to Stallings, we are currently moving into a new smart systems era, with new technological developments such as the Watson computer, which beat humans on the game show Jeopardy. It is this kind of technology that represents a leap forward into this new technology era and will impact not only business and technology, but politics as well. The final lesson Stallings gave involved culture. “The essence of an organization is culture,” he said. Companies must have a culture that goes beyond its founder. This kind of culture involves values, dedication to clients and a reputable corporate character.

Stallings is responsible for delivering large systems and storage offerings to IBM’s largest enterprise clients worldwide. He has more than 23 years of experience in the information technology industry, including business management, strategy and innovation. Previously Stallings served as general manager of the IBM System z business line, and he led the open standards and intellectual property income strategy for the technology and intellectual property division. Before that, he was IBM’s general manager of Linux where he led the transformation of Linux from an emerging opportunity to a multimillion-dollar enterprise. He also directed the company’s strategic growth business unit. Before he joined IBM, Stallings worked for GE and the Rolm Corp. He is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy with a Bachelor of Science in management and a Master of Science in computer systems management from American University.

Chuck Dudley - What I Expect if You Work for Me

2011-05-04T09:11:00.001-05:00

Chuck Dudley is a 1976 Graduate of the Sam M. Walton College of Business with a degree in Marketing, and holds an MBA from the Walton College in 1977. In addition, he has a degree in banking from the Stonier Graduate School of Banking at Rutgers University. Chuck has 34 years experience in investments, banking, trust, and executive benefit planning. He has spent the last 15 years helping bankers and small business owners retain, reward and retire their key executives as a Vice President for Argent Financial Group.

Chuck and his wife, Martha, live in Hot Springs and have two sons, Robert, a 2010 Information Services graduate of the Walton College, and Thomas, currently enrolled in the Walton College. Chuck and Robert are members of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity, and Thomas is a Spring 2011 Associate Member. Chuck is a Past President of the Arkansas Alumni Association, and currently is Past President of the Walton College Alumni Society.

A SERIES FOR STUDENTS AND RECENT GRADUATES

During the discussions at our last Walton College Alumni Society (WCAS) meeting, we determined that we should target some of our blogging for the benefit of students and recent graduates. As the oldest of the group, I decided to offer my perspective on a series of topics, this being the first. It’s coming from the experience of 34 years in the financial services industry, and what I would expect from associates. Understand, this is just my perspective, but maybe it will be helpful as you begin your own career. Future topics will be: Dress for Success in Today’s Culture, Building Your Network, Continuing Your Education, and Business Etiquette.

I MIGHT BE A BIT OLD SCHOOL!

Here’s the first thing: if we open at 8:00, that means you need to be ready to work at 8:00. So get there 15 minutes early, get your coffee fixed, organize your desk, and be ready to provide service to our clients.

We don’t eat breakfast at our desks, we do it before we get here, or in the designated break room.

I find that the early morning hours are best for me. Much can be accomplished in the early hours when others are not calling and walking into your office. I don’t like to stay late, just to be staying late. Therefore, I get going early and try to make it happen.

When you leave, don’t leave your desk in a mess. Straighten it up! This provides needed discipline for you and gives you a positive start on the next day.

In my mind, these fit anyone’s business.

BE ORGANIZED

Today’s business culture has plenty of tools for you to organize your day. The time tested one is to use a system that requires you to write down what you must accomplish. When you physically write something down, you are much more likely to think about the task and then execute it. And, when you have accomplished it, engage in the act of marking heavily through it. Psychologically, you are done with that task and can move on. A daily sheet full of “mark throughs” will give you great satisfaction and will also mean you have had a successful day.

Plan ahead. If you have not read Stephen Covey’s “7 Habits of Highly Effective People," you should invest in the book and read it cover to cover. Particularly, I like “ Begin with the end in mind” and “Put First things First." I spend every Friday planning my next week. I have the type of job that allows me to do this, of course, but here is how my week should go:

Monday - Organize in the morning, return calls, send out correspondence. In the afternoon, see clients and work on business development

Tuesday- Business Development and client work

Wednesday- Business Development and client work

Thursday- Business Development and client work

Friday Morning, business development and planning for the next week. The afternoon is mine, and I might do a lot of things, including playing golf!! Or heading early to a Razorback football game……

CONTINUOUS EVALUATION

No one system is the best, but years of trial and error have evolved into the system I use today. You must find a discipline that works best for you. BUT, YOU MUST HAVE A SYSTEM! Otherwise, you are just a rudderless ship.

I believe this, if you approach your work day/week with a disciplined, organized attitude and plan, you will be a step ahead of others and will find a career path that is satisfying. My Dad always talks about time and patience. You need both of those, as well. Success does not come overnight. You must pay your dues, work hard, and be ready when opportunity presents itself. I’ll talk more about this when we discuss “Building Your Network."

Hope this is helpful, good luck with finding YOUR system!

Chuck Dudley - TANSTAAFL!

2011-04-08T10:02:00.010-05:00

Chuck Dudley is a 1976 Graduate of the Sam M. Walton College of Business with a degree in Marketing, and holds an MBA from the Walton College in 1977. In addition, he has a degree in banking from the Stonier Graduate School of Banking at Rutgers University. Chuck has 34 years experience in investments, banking, trust, and executive benefit planning. He has spent the last 15 years helping bankers and small business owners retain, reward and retire their key executives as a Vice President for Argent Financial Group.

Chuck and his wife, Martha, live in Hot Springs and have two sons, Robert, a 2010 Information Services graduate of the Walton College, and Thomas, currently enrolled in the Walton College. Chuck and Robert are members of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity, and Thomas is a Spring 2011 Associate Member. Chuck is a Past President of the Arkansas Alumni Association, and currently is Past President of the Walton College Alumni Society.

WHAT IN THE WORLD IS TANSTAAFL?
In my Senior year of college, my favorite Economics professor walked into class the first day and wrote TANSTAAFL on the chalkboard (yes, it was some time ago…). He told the class that this would be on every test we would have and that it would behoove us to know its meaning. TANSTAAFL stands for: “There Ain’t No Such Thing As A Free Lunch”.

Probably, most of you have an idea of what it means, at least from an economic sense. The short version is: nothing comes without a cost. Not healthcare, not retirement, and certainly not financial independence. Most of us know that nothing worthwhile is accomplished without proper planning and hard work. Each of you works hard to make your business profitable and to create an environment that allows your staff to succeed. And there are rarely free lunches associated with the daily effort to accomplish this.

TAKING RESPONSIBILITY
Once one understands that TANSTAAFL is a real factor in one’s financial success, what can you do about it? There is another concept that one needs to understand, as well, and that is that HOPE IS NOT A VALID STRATEGY! In other words, if you HOPE Social Security will be the full benefit, if you HOPE markets will go higher so you can live in retirement from your 401K,or you HOPE you can sell your business so you can cash in, then you may really believe there is such thing as a free lunch.

Understanding these concepts means you must take responsibility for making sure you have enough money to live on in retirement, and that you won’t run out of money. The great fear of our elderly population today is that they will run out of money. Most HOPED they would do well enough to retire with the lifestyle they had become accustomed to. They didn’t figure on market erosion, increased healthcare costs and $3 a gallon gas. Sometimes, it just doesn’t work out the way you wanted.

SO, WHAT IS THE ANSWER?
If you are the owner or senior executive of a business, SERPS may be an excellent solution. SERPS are Supplemental Employee Retirement Plans, and are usually “non-qualified”. Non-qualified means you can indentify key employees (especially yourself!) as candidates for benefit plans you don’t have to offer everyone else. They can help an owner or key employee make sure that HOPE is not the main thing they are depending on for their secure financial future.

We have worked with financial institutions and small businesses on designing key employee benefits for over 15 years. The lunch may not be free, but it will be a whole lot more enjoyable if you properly plan. If you have realized that you need a fresh outlook, we can help, and look forward to helping you take responsibility for your financial independence.

ACTION PLAN
We would like to visit with you about how we might work for you and your business. Call me at 501-318-0010, or send me an email at: Cdudley@argentmoney.com. An hour of your time spent analyzing your situation might make a lifetime of difference.

Dillard's Professional Wardrobe Event

2011-04-07T09:55:00.000-05:00

It is our pleasure to inform you of an exciting new program Dillard’s, Inc. is offering exclusively to the juniors and seniors of the University of Arkansas Sam M. Walton College of Business.

You can only make one first impression, and there’s no doubt you want it to be a great one. In an effort to help you look your very best as you begin your internship or full-time job, Dillard’s will partner with you to build the perfect professional wardrobe. In addition, to ease your transition from college student to working professional, we are pleased to provide you with a 30% discount on your professional wardrobe purchase of $1,000 or more.

This 2-day event will take place on April 26 and April 27. Due to the short-term nature of this exclusive offer, we ask all qualifying students to visit our Northwest Arkansas Mall store for a pre-shop day on Tuesday, April 12 or Wednesday, April 13.

At that time, bring this email to customer service, along with your student ID and driver’s license to verify your status with the University as a junior or senior. We will provide you with a list of items / products that qualify for this exclusive offer.

We encourage you to use the pre-shop day to browse our vast assortment of professional attire and make your selections for your individual wardrobe needs. Pre-shop day would be a great time to meet with one of Dillard’s expert professional stylists to assist in selecting the perfect wardrobe for your chosen profession.

Then simply return to the store on April 26 or April 27. Your purchase will be processed, and your 30% discount will be given at that time.

Again, this exclusive offer is only valid at the Fayetteville Northwest Arkansas Mall Dillard's on April 26 and 27 to juniors and seniors of the Sam M. Walton College of Business.

We are excited to partner with you as you begin your careers and wish you all the best for a bright and successful future.

Wednesdays with Walton

2011-03-28T09:05:00.004-05:00

In February, Romance Diamond Company hosted the second "Wednesdays with Walton" alumni networking event in Fayetteville. Special thanks to alumna Brittany Adair and her team for allowing us to shop, network, and enjoy happy hour at her store! "Wednesdays with Walton" take place quarterly in northwest Arkansas and alternate between locations in Benton County and Washington County. Stay tuned to find out where the May event will take place!

If you are an alumnus living in northwest Arkansas and have not heard about these events yet, please make sure your contact information is up-to-date by filling out this online form.

Alex Burris, Dave Holland, and Steven Hinds

Autumn Parker, Ryan Miller, and Alana Hale

Courtney Madden, Brittany Adair, and Sarah Eldridge

Maria and Skyler Lanning

Walton College Faculty Award Winners

2011-03-23T16:45:00.004-05:00

The Walton College Awards Committee recently selected the 2011 recipients of our faculty awards. The following individuals will be recognized this spring for their excellence in teaching and research.

Best All-Around
Scot Burton
Marketing

Teaching, Research, and service – Dr. Scot Burton tackles all three of these with excellence and a smile. The beauty of Scot’s record is that he would be a competitive contender for the Best All-Around Award EVERY year. His teaches at all three academic levels, providing leadership in the doctoral programs, challenging classes in the graduate programs, and innovative courses for undergrads. Scot’s research accomplishments are legendary.

For 2010, he had 4 acceptances in peer-reviewed journals, six articles published in peer-reviewed journals, andcountlesss proceedings, and more. His service work for the institution is extraordinary, exceeded only by his service to the academy. The Journal of Public Policy and Marketing named Scot as the Outstanding Reviewer of the Year. The impact he has on the daily lives of colleagues is immeasurable- and valued. For these, and many other reasons, Scot is the very worthy recipient of the Best All-Around Faculty Member Award.

Teaching
Robert Stapp
Economics

Economics is no easy topic to teach, because it requires students to master some very technical skills - such as math, finance, and accounting, as well as knowledge of sociology, psychology, even politics. The classroom performance of Professor Robert Stapp should thus be considered an extraordinary achievement. During year 2010, Dr. Stapp has taught six distinct course preparations, from sophomore to upper level classes, including honors courses. And despite this wide reach, as well as his stringent level of grading, Dr. Stapp earned the highest student teaching evaluations across the board in the whole Walton College of Business. The vast majority of students ranked him among the best teachers they ever had.

But the student evaluation scores tell just a part of the story behind Dr. Stapp’s teaching excellence. His dedication to the students outside of the classroom makes him a genuine motivator and mentor. During the last year, a total of six of his advisees were the recipient of the prestigious undergraduate SURF grants. In addition, he has served as an advisor to several successful student and university organizations, such as Japanese Student Organization, Clubbe Economique, and the Booster Club. Last, but definitely not the least, showing his true dedication to the teaching profession, Dr. Stapp has been helping the next generation of teachers and instructors as the member of the Center for Teaching Excellence Steering Committee. To sum it all – all his above activities make Dr. Robert Stapp a very worthy recipient of 2009 Teaching Award.

Research
Chris Rosen
Management

During 2010, Dr. Rosen had five scholarly papers accepted for publication in highly respected journals, one paper published in a prestigious journal, and a book chapter published in a research series. His journal articles will appear in some of the most prestigious journals in the field, including the Journal of Applied Psychology, Personnel Psychology, the Journal of Management, and Human Resource Management Review. These papers focus on issues related to Dr. Rosen’s primary research interests in organizational behavior. Specifically, he focuses on employee attitudes and behavior and the factors that influence them in work organizations. In addition to substantive areas of research, he and his colleagues now published a number of papers focusing on improving and validating the measurement of higher-order multidimensional constructs that have become more popular in recent years.

This year was simply a continuation of the strong research record Dr. Rosen has produced since he was hired as an Assistant Professor of Management in the Walton College of Business in Fall of 2006. Since that time, Professor Rosen has published over a dozen book chapters and scholarly papers in some of the most prestigious journals in his field. He also plays a vital role in developing new research scholars through his active involvement in the doctoral program. Three of his accepted publications this year were co-authored with Walton College doctoral students.

Service
Vikas Anand
Management

Dr. Vikas Anand is the epitome of service. He tirelessly works as the PhD coordinator for his Department, influencing the lives of the doctoral students as they carve their pathways in the academic discipline. He is also responsible for the brown bag sessions, fostering a research environment that extends beyond his department. To give you an idea of the varied scope of his activities, he is active in the Academy of Management, National Science Foundation, European Union’s Research Commission (FP7), and numerous committees within the college. His work with the Global Engagement office centers on a partnership with the Fortune Institute of International Business in India, forming initiatives between the WCOB and India.

What resonates with many who cross Vikas’ path is his unique ability to make each individual feel that they have his full attention – that each service initiative is the most important to him. Perhaps that derives from his personal philosophy that the role of every faculty is to create an environment that facilitates the creation and dissemination of knowledge. Dr. Anand does that with excellence, no matter what service capacity he is tackling, making him the selection for the 2010 Service award.

Diversity
Gary Ferrier

Economics

Dr. Gary Ferrier is the diversity "champion" for the Walton College. He helps the College in pursuing diversity as one of its strategic thrusts. He works closely with several people within the college to further develop and implement the College's diversity plan. He is instrumental in helping every department in the college to develop its own diversity plan. Within his own department, he has directed efforts to reach out to different colleges and universities to identify faculty members who can visit the Economics department and the College to give research seminars. He has similarly ensured that faculty hiring in the Economics department attracts a diverse applicant pool. In the past year, two of his key ideas have borne fruit. First, there is now more money allocated to diversity linked scholarships. Second, there is money allocated for summer research support for issues related to diversity and inclusiveness.

Dr. Ferrier is also continuing to develop his already excellent ideas related to diversity. As a next step, he has attended conferences to learn more about how the College not only in recruiting but retaining a diverse faculty. This is a very important effort and key next step in the College’s mission. We are excited by the direction Dr. Ferrier will lead us in and we know that this will be one that will propel us further toward achieving our goals related to diversity and his simple yet powerful own philosophical stand related to diversity: “all people should be included.”

Graduate Student Teaching
Samantha Conroy
Management

Samantha Conroy is the recipient of the 2011 Outstanding Graduate Student Teaching Award for the Walton College. This past year she taught “Acquiring and Managing Human Capital. Her students gave her outstanding evaluations and their comments described an instructor with an effective teaching style. Among the comments:

• “Loved the class and Professor Conroy.”
• “She is no nice, helpful. She is a smart teacher.”
• “She is prepared for class… you can see the efforts she puts in…. She seems genuinely interested in us.”
• “Best teacher ever! Very helpful.”

In describing her teaching beliefs and values Samantha states “my students deserve an instructor that is well prepared and concerned about their leaning.” She also states that “undergraduates are preparing for their careers; this means that in addition to course content, they need to learn personal responsibility.”

Please congratulate these winners if you see them on campus!

Chuck Dudley - A First Time for Everything

2011-03-15T18:58:00.002-05:00

Very simply, what I do is help people retire with more money. Now that is a challenge in today’s world. Uncertainty rules the day. Tax uncertainty, healthcare uncertainty, inflation, interest rates, credit availability….all very real to today’s small businesses. In the last 15 years of my career, I have focused on working with banks and small business, helping them reward, retain and retire their key executives. This strategy utilizes “non-qualified” benefit plans where the company can pick their key performers for benefits outside the traditional qualified plans.

Many times these are called SERPs, which stands for Supplemental Employee Retirement Plan. And it really does what it says, it “supplements” an executive’s 401k and Social Security in an attempt to close the gap on the retirement shortfall many executives face due to the discrimination factors of qualified plans.

So, this is the end of my first blog! We’ll see what other important things we can explore for you in future ones.

Chuck Dudley

Vice President

Argent Financial Group

Hot Springs, Arkansas

501-318-0010

cdudley@argentmoney.com

Arkansas Insurance Producer License 31978

2011 Arkansas Business Hall of Fame

2011-02-23T14:45:00.000-06:00

2011 Inductees (left to right): Dickson Flake, Leland Tollett, Don Soderquist, and Wallace Fowler.

Governor Mike Beebe provides opening remarks.

Larry Wilson and Dean Dan Worrell present Dickson Flake with his award.

Chancellor G. David Gearhart introduces Wallace Fowler.

Chancellor Gearhart and Dean Worrell present Mr. Fowler with his award.

Don Soderquist makes remarks after receiving his award.

University of Arkansas System President B. Alan Sugg introduces Leland Tollett.

President Sugg and Dean Worrell present Mr. Tollett with his award.

The Walton College Office of External Relations - the staff responsible for the coordination of the annual event.

Arkansas Business Hall of Fame Inductee: Leland E. Tollett

2011-02-08T09:38:00.000-06:00

On February 11, 2011, the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame will induct four new members. Each of the new inductees has impacted the state not only through his success in commerce, but also by his compassion for the community.

Here is a brief look at Leland Tollett, Former Chairman and CEO, Tyson Foods, Inc.:

Leland Tollett

Leland Tollett earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in poultry science and nutrition from the University of Arkansas and immediately went to work for Tyson Feed and Hatchery Inc. As director of research and nutrition, he led the company’s efforts to establish scientific poultry management practices.

University of Arkansas alumnus Leland Tollett joined Tyson Feed and Hatchery Inc. in 1959 as director of research and nutrition.

Tollett soon moved up the ladder to vice president of the Broiler Division and corporate vice president and then president of the Production Division. Don Tyson and Tollett formed a leadership team along with Buddy Wray, who headed sales and marketing. Together they were responsible for the phenomenal growth of Tyson Foods Inc. In 1981, Tollett became chief operating officer; in 1983, he was named president and chief operating officer; and in 1984, he was elected to the board. He became CEO and chairman of the board in 1985.

He said, “I had been taught from an early age that hard work, loyalty and persistence were important, and that if you did a good job for somebody, it would not go unnoticed.”

Tollett played a key role in leading and integrating Tyson Foods many major acquisitions. He said, “Don and Buddy or two or three of us, we’d go to the office on Saturday morning. We would brainstorm this or that. When we bought Valmack Industries, one Saturday morning, we wondered what the Bass Brothers are doing; let’s try to buy it. Monday morning, we could hardly wait till the phones got hot. That’s how things happened then.”

Don Tyson and Leland Tollett worked closely together to lead Tyson Foods to become one of the world's leading producers of chicken, beef and pork.

Tollett reflected about his time at Tyson Foods, “I hardly ever looked at my job as a real job and never thought, I’ve got to go to work. I always thought, boy, I get to go down and do something today. I thought it was great.” He retired from Tyson in 1999, but returned as interim president and CEO for six months in 2009.

He said, “It’s a wonderful experience to get to do the things we did. Growing up and going to work for a company that was very, very small and not having the aspirations to anything great, just whatever came along, but we thought we could do whatever we set our mind to.”

For more information on the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame and the other three inductees, Dickson Flake, Wallace Fowler and Don Soderquist, go to: http://waltoncollege.uark.edu/news/view.asp?article=779 and http://waltoncollege.uark.edu/abhf/default.asp.

Arkansas Business Hall of Fame Inductee: Donald G. Soderquist

2011-01-27T09:16:00.000-06:00

On February 11, 2011, the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame will induct four new members. Each of the new inductees has impacted the state not only through his success in commerce, but also by his compassion for the community.

Here is a brief look at Don Soderquist, Former Senior Vice Chairman, Walmart, and Founding Executive, Soderquist Center for Leadership and Ethics:

Don Soderquist

Don Soderquist graduated from Wheaton College in Illinois in 1955, and in 1963, he went to work for Ben Franklin in Chicago as vice president of data processing. It was here at the headquarters that he first met Sam Walton, who owned a chain of 15 Ben Franklin stores. Soderquist said, “I was running the computer operation at that time for Ben Franklin so he came downstairs, and we spent the afternoon together. We just kind of clicked. He asked very penetrating questions about computers and what the possibilities might be . . . So we had just a delightful time together. In the process of that, in a half a day, we really became friends.”

Don Soderquist joined Walmart in 1980 as executive vice president.

Walton eventually convinced Soderquist to join Walmart in 1980 as executive vice president. Soderquist served in several executive positions before his appointment in early 1988 to vice chairman and chief operating officer. He oversaw many of Walmart’s key support divisions. In January 1999, he was promoted to senior vice chairman. During a 20-year career at Walmart, Soderquist’s value went beyond his knowledge of retailing and business; he was a people-oriented manager who was able to energize others. As the keeper of the culture that Walton established, Soderquist usually led the legendary Walmart “Saturday morning meeting,” and he continues to be a frequent speaker at Walmart management meetings worldwide. He said, “It’s a matter of putting other people first. It’s a matter of working together. There are some that are hands and some that are arms and some that are legs. To make the body function, all of those pieces have to be present.” He retired in 2000 and continued to serve on the board for two more years.

After Sam Walton passed away, Don Soderquist became the "keeper" of Walmart's unique culture.

In 1998, John Brown University created the Soderquist Center for Business Leadership and Ethics in his honor. Soderquist wrote two books, “The Wal-Mart Way,” to share the principles he felt led to the growth of Walmart, and “Live, Learn, Lead—To Make a Difference,” which shares more of his philosophy. Soderquist has received three honorary degrees and numerous industry awards.

Don and JoAnn Soderquist have been active in numerous not-for-profit organizations in Northwest Arkansas by participating on boards and in numerous philanthropic efforts.

For more information on the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame and the other three inductees, Dickson Flake, Wallace Fowler and Leland Tollett, go to: http://waltoncollege.uark.edu/news/view.asp?article=779 and
http://waltoncollege.uark.edu/abhf/default.asp.

Arkansas Business Hall of Fame Inductee: Wallace W. Fowler

2011-01-18T10:18:00.001-06:00

Here is a brief look at Wallace W. Fowler, Chairman and CEO, Liberty Bank of Arkansas, and Chairman and CEO, Fowler Foods, Inc.:

Wallace Fowler

Wallace Fowler turned a 1960s investment in Kentucky Fried Chicken franchises into a significant position in Arkansas’ banking industry. Today, he continues to own restaurants and other properties as well as leads Liberty Bank of Arkansas.

A native of Manila, Ark., Fowler began his career by working his way up to management at Haverty’s Furniture Store. After a short stint at Dillard’s, he purchased his aunt’s Jonesboro furniture store and expanded to three other cities, eventually selling the stores to a Memphis firm.

In 1965, he and his partners began buying Kentucky Fried Chicken franchises until they had 93 outlets and were the fourth largest franchise holder in the country. He worked closely with Colonel Sanders and said, “We had the privilege of knowing the Colonel quite well. And he liked us. We were young, aggressive, wanting to grow. We would listen to him. He was just a great guy, and he believed in doing it right, and he’d chew you out in front of everybody if you didn’t do it right.” In 1985, they sold 83 franchises, and Fowler’s son Chris kept 10 outlets.

Wallace Fowler worked closely with Colonel Sanders when he and his partners owned 93 Kentucky Fried Chicken franchises.

Fowler considered retiring, but was offered the chairmanship of Mercantile Bank in Jonesboro. By the next year, he was leading a group that purchased controlling interest and continued to expand his interests into several Arkansas banks. Today he is chairman and CEO, Liberty Bank of Arkansas, and simultaneously, continues as chairman and CEO of Fowler Foods.

In 1998, Wallace and Jama Fowler gave $5 million for the Fowler Center for the Performing Arts at Arkansas State University. They both served on the University of Arkansas Campaign for the 21st Century steering committee. In 2005, they provided $1.75 million for the Wallace and Jama Fowler House, the University of Arkansas chancellor’s residence.

Wallace and Jama Fowler made a $1.75 million gift to the University of Arkansas to construct the chancellor's home, Fowler House.

On his philosophy of business, Fowler said, “You’ve got to take care of the customers. They have got to feel wanted, needed, taken care of. They came in for a reason. You need to serve them the very best product you’ve got.”

For more information on the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame and the other three inductees, Dickson Flake, Don Soderquist and Leland Tollett, go to: http://waltoncollege.uark.edu/news/view.asp?article=779 and http://waltoncollege.uark.edu/abhf/default.asp

Arkansas Business Hall of Fame Inductee: L. Dickson Flake

2011-01-11T16:38:00.002-06:00

On February 11, 2011, the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame will induct four new members. Each of the new inductees has impacted the state not only through his success in commerce, but also by his compassion for the community.

Here is a brief look at Dickson Flake, co-founder and former managing partner of Colliers International Arkansas, the state’s largest commercial real estate firm:

Dickson Flake

An Arkansas native, Flake graduated first in his MBA class at the University of Michigan in 1960 and went to work for Burroughs Corp. (now Unisys Corp.) in Detroit as manager of the financial and economic analysis department. He said, “I was fortunate it was a good job market at the time, and I had offers from five companies. Burroughs was moving into computers in its early stages, and it was an exciting opportunity to go where there was a growth product.”

He returned to Little Rock and in 1971, joined C.V. “Cotton” Barnes, Luke Quinn and Sam Anderson to form a commercial real estate firm. Flake pioneered the concept of development management of a project, which includes such services as conception, feasibility analysis, site analysis, counsel on site selection, analysis of financial partners, site acquisition, planning, and development.

Dickson Flake and his firm Barnes, Quinn, Flake & Anderson pioneered the concept of development management for commercial real estate.

The firm’s projects cover the Arkansas landscape and neighboring states and include, for example, the 30-story Regions Center; corporate headquarters of USAble; Breckenridge Village, which received a City Beautiful Award; Systematics (now Fidelity and Windstream) headquarters; Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield; and downtown offices for the Arkansas Department of Human Services; J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. headquarters; Arkansas Best Corporation headquarters; and Jones Eye Institute at UAMS. In 1974, Flake was invited to join the 1,000-member American Society of Real Estate Counselors, for which he served as president in 1989.

The J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. headquarters in Lowell, Ark., is one of the many projects across the state and surrounding states managed by Dickson Flake.

Discussing commercial real estate, he said, “It is now a career field, which is highly specialized, high standards of conduct, the ethical levels are as good as I know of any other career field that I see in business. It makes me very satisfied to witness that evolution over that forty year period.”

As a champion of education, Flake said, “I think education is the most critical element in advancing not only our economy, but also our society. I’ve concentrated most of my volunteer work with higher education. My father was absolutely insistent on the higher education of his sons, even though he had not gone to college.”

Flake told the Arkansas Democrat Gazette in 1995, “I view work not as a means to a livelihood and a way of earning a living, but as a fulfilling end in itself.”

For more information on the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame and the other three inductees, Wallace Fowler, Don Soderquist and Leland Tollett, go to: http://waltoncollege.uark.edu/news/view.asp?article=779 and
http://waltoncollege.uark.edu/abhf/default.asp.

'Tis the Season!

2010-12-22T15:11:00.000-06:00

It’s almost the end of the year! If you are thinking about making a charitable donation in 2010 for a tax deduction, please consider a gift to the Walton College Alumni Society Scholarship. Below you will find information about the scholarship and the members of the scholarship committee. Send this link to family and friends who may be interested in making a gift as well!

The University of Arkansas offices will close on Friday, December 24 for the holidays. To receive 2010 credit for your gift, checks should be dated and mailed to the address below prior to January 1, 2011. If you prefer to make your gift online, please visit http://annualfund.uark.edu/givetoday.php and specify the Walton College Alumni Society Scholarship in the “Other Specific Department or Program” field underneath “Gift Designation 1.”

Checks should be payable to the University of Arkansas Foundation, Inc. and mailed to:

Jennifer Holland
1 University of Arkansas
Business Building 117
Fayetteville, AR 72701

On behalf of the scholarship committee, thank you for considering a gift to this fund and for sending this to your family and friends to encourage their participation. Have a very happy holiday season and best wishes for a great 2011!

Committee:

Kelly Truitt, BSBA '85, Chair

Weston Lewey, BSBA '85, Co-Chair

Stephen Chaffin, BSBA '80

Chris Johnson, BSBA '83

Heather Nelson, BSBA '94

Sam Pittman, BSBA '82

About:

The Walton College Alumni Society Scholarship is part of the Access Arkansas* campaign which aims to increase the number of endowed scholarships for students who face significant financial challenges but may not be eligible for the more competitive merit-based scholarships to fund their education.

With a goal of a $50,000 endowment and an alumni population of a little over 25,000, the math is simple! If all Walton College alumni participated in the campaign with a minimum contribution of $2, the scholarship would be fully funded.

*For more information about the Access Arkansas campaign, email alumni@walton.uark.edu.

Retail Nxt

2010-10-27T08:38:00.000-05:00

The Walton College Center for Retailing Excellence is to be congratulated for pulling together some of the top executives in the retailing industry for an amazing conference. More than 500 members of the vendor and retail community — representing more than 120 companies — as well as many Walton College students gathered at the Springdale Holiday Inn on Oct. 6 to hear about the latest trends in retailing directly from the biggest players in that arena.

Although the whole day’s program was fantastic, some of the highlights included a high level discussion between Bill Simon, president and CEO, Walmart US, and Bob McDonald, president and CEO, Procter & Gamble; an insight into “movement building” with Kevin Roberts, Worldwide CEO for Saatchi & Saatchi; and the identification of the next retailing trends by Jim Lecinski, managing director, U.S. Sales, Google. Walton College Professor Don White also drew rave reviews for his presentation on leadership. No other Walton College event more successfully demonstrates our strong connections and expertise in retail.

Center for Retailing Excellence Director Claudia Mobley said, “It is hard to believe this was our 10th conference. The center is so fortunate to have a team of industry board members who inspired the vision for the conference to be the premier conveyance of industry trends and information. I don’t believe there’s a more dedicated or talented association of staff and board members. We were also excited that so many students could attend the conference. One of our goals is to inspire students to look at the exciting careers in the retail business.”

Maria V. Barrenechea is a member of the Honors Marketing Colloquium class that was also invited to breakfast with Bill Simon and Jim Lecinski right before the conference began. She said, “It was an informative and interactive experience where we had the opportunity to hear firsthand the insights, challenges and concerns that key industry executives and leaders like Mr. Simon and Mr. Lecinski and others face. As a team in the class, we are working on a project for Walmart’s marketing department. So we had the opportunity to learn about their thinking process, concerns and the approach they would have to our project’s topic. The Center for Retailing Excellence conference definitely offered us an enriching experience that contributed to our professional development as students.”

Alumni Share Their Wisdom with Students

2010-10-25T12:09:00.001-05:00

Your alumni magazine, Walton Perspective, is in the mail. In planning this issue, we decided to catch up with five alumni to see where their careers have taken them and how they’ve used what they learned in the Walton College. All of these graduates learned that you can do a lot of different things with a business degree. They ventured beyond the traditional business fields and followed their dreams. They offer students this advice:

Brittney Jones Carlton, BSBA ’98
Photographer/Owner,
Focused Exposure, Inc.
Fayetteville, Arkansas

Brittney Jones Carlton attributes Focused Exposure’s success to her business plan and long work hours. She said, “When starting a business, you have to decide which half of the day you want to work: 7 a.m.- 7 p.m. or 7 p.m.- 7 a.m.” She also reminds aspiring entrepreneurs to remain flexible and open to changing customer needs. Above all, “Do your homework and go back to the principles that you learned in business school.”

Robert Chafin, BSBA ’98
Senior Buyer, Accessories
Yves Saint Laurent
New York City, New York

Robert Chafin’s advice to current students is simple: explore different things. “Take advantage of the different resources on and off campus. Visit other cities. Look at other areas of business. There is business involved in everything. If you do have an interest in another area, like theater or fashion, remember that there is always a business element to it. Those are certainly areas that one can explore.” He continued, “It’s hard for students who are in school to look forward and understand why they’re learning what they’re learning. School taught me how to logic and think and solve problems. While you’re listening to the lectures, case studies and teaching, remember that’s what it’s for.”

Mike Kattan, BSA ’87, MBA ’89
Chairman, Department of Quantitative Health Science
Cleveland Clinic
Professor of Medicine, Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, Ohio

Mike Kattan offers these tips for today’s students. He said, “First, master your craft. Whatever it is that you like to do, do it well. Second, finish the job. Remember that perfect is the enemy of good, and it is better to get partial credit for something great you finish on time than no credit for something you never quite finished.” Overcoming cancer (when he was 22) taught Kattan to strengthen his skills and knowledge with a positive attitude in life and with co-workers — real fast.

Jay Langston, BSBA ’92
Founder
Backstage Toys LLC
Jamestown, North Carolina

What is Jay Langston’s advice for current students who wish to pursue their passion? He said, “You spend so much of your time working throughout your life. You definitely want to choose something you’re going to enjoy — not just something you feel is financially beneficial or something your family chooses for you. You want to choose your own path and something that you’ll be excited to do every day.”

Jennifer Schwab, BSBA ’99
Director of Sustainability
Sierra Club Green Home
San Francisco, California

Jennifer Schwab’s advice for students today is to “experiment and follow your heart.” She continues, “My greatest advice is to research, research, research. Don’t settle into a career because you’re good at it or think you should be doing it. Get into what you love by learning as much as you can about a subject.” She also notes that there is a lot of room for graduates in the environmental movement, especially in business. “I think this generation is getting that, and I would invite them to be open to the possibilities.”

And the Fork goes to....

2010-09-29T13:41:00.000-05:00

Last week's Bon Appetit was a huge success! We enjoyed a great turnout, good food and drinks, a lot of fun, and raised over $2,500 in support of the Walton College Alumni Society Scholarship.

If you couldn't attend the event this year, we strongly recommend that you try to attend next year. It really is a lot of fun!

This year's winners are...
{drumroll, please}

The Dean's Choice Award
Chess Pie
Walton College Alumni Society Team
Heather Nelson (BSBA '94) & Debbie Blume (BSBA '08)

Chairman of the Stove Award (contest between WCAS & BAAC)
Chess Pie
Walton College Alumni Society Team

Heather Nelson (BSBA '94) & Debbie Blume (BSBA'08)

Bronze Fork Award

Recession Buster Mojitos (No bitterness, just sweetness)

Business Alumni Advisory Council Team aka TCB (Takin' Care of Business)
Paul Morris (BSBA '97) & Riley Shearin (BSBA '99, MBA '07)

Not pictured: Blake Evans (BSBA '99)

Silver Fork Award
Chess Pie
Walton College Alumni Society Team
Heather Nelson (BSBA '94) & Debbie Blume (BSBA '08)

Gold Fork Award
Hickory Smoked Pork Tenderloin
Kit Brown (BSBA '05) & Scott Jackson (BSBA '05)

Finally, we have to thank Brittney Carlton at Focused Exposure once again for her beautiful photography of the evening. To view all of the pictures from the event, check out her album on Facebook. Here is our photographer extraordinaire with assistant director of development Rachel Burton.

Thanks again to all who supported our event and the Walton College Alumni Society Scholarship!

Bon Appetit: The Icing on the Cake

2010-09-21T12:36:00.000-05:00

By now, you've had the pleasure of reading about all of the fantastic alumni caterers we have lined up for Bon Appetit this week. But there are three others who need to be recognized for their contributions to the event as well.

First, guests and caterers alike can say "cheese," thanks to Walton College alumna Brittney Carlton from Focused Exposure. Brittney provided our fantastic photos from last year's event and has agreed to participate again this year as well! Known as one of the top wedding photographers in Arkansas, Brittney Carlton began her photography studio, Focused Exposure, in Fayetteville after graduating from the Walton College in 1998. She is married to Dale Carlton, graduate of the University of Arkansas School of Law, class of 2001. Having a love for the arts and enjoying capturing the memories of people in her photos, Brittney continues to advance her techniques and perspectives in portraying the splendor of her client’s wedding day. Brittney has professional training in photography and worked directly with an ESPN photographer for three years as she developed her individual style. Although no two photos are the same, people often recognize Brittney’s photographic style in every image. Brittney is in demand for her commercial work, personality images, portraits, and artistic pictures, but she spends the majority of her time focusing on her love and passion for weddings.

Second, Caroline Decker (MMBA '04) will help bring a little more cheer to our event with a donation courtesy of Heineken. For the second year in a row, Caroline has helped us by providing beer, which - let's be honest - encourages our guests to be a little looser with their wallets (all to benefit the scholarship fund, of course). Plus, those who decide not to partake in the sure-to-be-delicious Summer Sangria or Recession Buster Mojitos will have a barley-friendly beverage from which to choose. Thanks, Caroline, for keeping us well-stocked!

Finally, we'd like to thank 3W Magazine for being a media sponsor of this year's event. We are fans of anyone who inspires a culture of giving and appreciate inclusion in their weekly "In the Loop with 3W" emails. Guests at our event will also be provided with complimentary issues of the magazine. Thank you, Leslie, for all of your help!

Our event is still two days away, but voting has already begun! Several teams have decided to up the ante by soliciting friends for votes and taking samples to their places of work. The competition is heating up, and the Walton College Alumni Society Scholarship is already benefiting from it! If you'd like to vote early for your favorite team, just email alumni@walton.uark.edu and let us know who you would like to support. Votes are $1 each and are tax deductible.

As a reminder, here's who's in it to win it:

Want to watch the battle in person? Register today!

Celebrity Caterer Spotlight: No Beans About It

2010-09-20T14:13:00.001-05:00

In these tart economic times, accountants Sarah Langham (BSBA '05, MACC '06), Lauren Kimbrough (BSBA '05), and Jessica Elliot (BSBA '06, MACC '07) will be raising the bar in sweetness with their raspberry bars at the Walton College Bon Appétit event. No more bean counting for these ladies! Early Thursday morning, Sarah, Lauren, and Jessica will trade in spreadsheets for cookie sheets, tie back their aprons and begin taking precise measurements of their ingredients. No oat, raspberry, or granule of brown sugar will go uncounted by this team, which is why the outcome is sure to be accurate and balanced. Come try this confection for yourself this Thursday, September 23, at 6:30 p.m. to see if they succeed. Beware: there will be a raspberry bar audit, so please don’t take more than your allowance.

Please register for the event here so we can count you in the fun! If you have other obligations that hinder your attendance this Thursday evening, don’t let their hard work go without recognition. You may vote for this dessert or any other dish in the competition ahead of time to show your support. E-mail alumni@walton.uark.edu to find out how! Early voting tokens are $1 a piece and are a fully tax deductible contribution to the Walton College Alumni Society needs-based scholarship fund.

Celebrity Caterer Spotlight: Bottoms Up!

2010-09-17T11:52:00.001-05:00

DING! DING! DING!

It's a celebrity caterer cocktail showdown!

Introducing first...

Fighting out of the blue corner with sliced fruit and a big bottle of red wine....
Weighing in with her BSBA fresh out of 2009 in Marketing Management, international study and work experience in Belize...
She is a marketing and event planning extraordinaire for Pratt Place Inn and delivers a fruity but mean punch...
Ladies and gentlemen, Rachel Duncan Kirksey and her Summer Sangria!

Now, in the red corner...

With a BSBA in '99 and MBA in '07, this heavyweight volunteer represents the Walton College Business Alumni Advisory Council in the challenge....
He is the director for information services at JB Hunt by day and master of the muddler after five o'clock....
And he promises to bust the bitterness out of the recession with his sweet cocktail...
Ladies and gentlemen, Riley Shearin and the TCB (Takin' Care of Business) team with their Recession Buster Mojitos!

There will only be one round for this rivalry, folks. Don't miss the knock-out next Thursday, September 23 at 6:30 p.m.! Will Riley make good on his mojitos with help from his team of mad muddlers, Blake Evans (BSBA '99) & Paul Morris (BSBA '97)? Or will Rachel, assisted by brother-in-law Mason Kirksey (BSBA '07, MBA '09), deliver the right punch with her sangria?

Register today to get front row seats to Walton College Bon Appetit and cheer on your favorite cocktail maker in support of the Walton College Alumni Society scholarship fund. Can't make it to the match? Support your favorite team by purchasing votes in advance. E-mail to cast your vote today and say "Cheers" to your favorite team! (Votes are $1 each and are a fully tax deductible contribution to the scholarship fund).

Celebrity Caterer Spotlight: Everything's Better with Bacon

2010-09-16T15:31:00.000-05:00

So far this year, we've heard about recipes involving either pork or desserts.

Our next celebrity caterer team hopes to appeal to those who like both by combining the two. Brad Lawless (MIS '99), Jerra Nalley (BSBA '10) and Hannah Acord (BSBA '10), aka the Biased Baconators, plan to "wow" the crowd next week with their Dark Chocolate Bacon Cupcakes.

Wondering what makes them biased? Perhaps this is a team of bacon and/or chocolate connoisseurs who have whipped up the perfect proportions necessary for a delightful treat. Or, it could have something to do with their work at Collective Bias. :)

They're hoping that their creations will appeal to those who fancy something a little salty or those who have a serious sweet tooth. (Vegetarians, you're just out of luck).

Will they win out over the other entries? Attend Bon Appetit next week and find out for yourself! We're only a week away, folks!

Celebrity Caterer Spotlight: The Other White Meat

2010-09-15T15:12:00.000-05:00

Cover your eyes, Boss Hog.

Two alumni teams competing in Bon Appétit this year are serving pork tenderloin as their entries. Maybe it's because they love the Hogs... Or maybe it's because Tim Brooks and Steve Brooks and Steven Hinds all won Forks at last year's event with their pork recipes... Either way, if you love "the other white meat," you're in for a real treat from both of these teams.

Kit Brown (BSBA '05), who works for the Kellogg Company, is partnering with fellow 2005 alumnus Scott Jackson to prepare a Hickory Smoked Pork Tenderloin for the event next week. They sent us this picture to tempt your tastebuds. No corn flakes here! Come find out what a wood smoker, time, and a little tenderness can do for a simple cut of pork.

Meanwhile, David Russell (BSBA '78, MBA '79) and Alex Burris (BSBA '08) aka the "sTEAL CHEFs" are also going for the gold with their pork recipe, which happens to be Honey Baked Pork Tenderloin with Caramelized Onions. Watch out for those "sTEAL CHEFs," folks. They plan to give the Iron Chef a run for his money!

So, whose will it be? The honey-baked or the hickory-smoked? Come taste (and judge) for yourself next week!

Celebrity Caterer Spotlight: Faculty Team!

2010-09-14T20:31:00.000-05:00

How many Walton College professors does it take to whip up a batch of delightful cream puffs? In this case, apparently, it takes three.

On September 23, Walton College faculty members Molly Jensen, Alan Ellstrand and Bill Curington will become pastry chefs extraordinaire, ditching their comfort zone in academia to enter the world of competitive baking. When asked about their game plan for the competition, it was clear that they had done their homework and will be combining their strengths to make the best cream puffs imaginable.

Putting his PhD in Strategic Management & Organizational Theory to good use, Alan is currently working on setting goals and determining the best plan for his team. Meanwhile, Bill is crunching the numbers and analyzing supply and demand for cream puffs in Northwest Arkansas. Molly, being well versed in consumer behavior, is already working on her marketing plan to get the most votes in the competition. Every vote directly supports the Walton College Alumni Society needs-based scholarship.

With only one week left and so many academics in the kitchen, we wonder if these cream puffs are just fluff, or if they will actually make it into the oven. Join us and see for yourself!

What are Molly and Alan cooking up? And where's Bill?!

Celebrity Caterer Spotlight: Ryan DeJarnette

2010-09-13T08:37:00.000-05:00

Ryan DeJarnette (BSBA '07), also known as the Chef Executive Officer, is a senior auditor at Walmart by day who attended the first annual Bon Appetit event last fall with his wife, Allison (pictured at left). This year, he decided to enter the competition with his Wedding Bacon and Proposal Meatballs. If you ask Ryan about the significance of these dishes, he'll tell you that the bacon recipe was actually served at his wedding reception. How sweet!

If you're a believer that everything is better with bacon, be sure to attend the event on September 23 and vote for Ryan's dish. His recipe will be available as a part of our commemorative booklet as well.

Did we mention that all votes are tax deductible and support the Walton College Alumni Society Scholarship fund? It's a fun event for a great cause, so be sure to register online today!

Celebrity Caterer Spotlight: Heather Nelson & Debbie Blume

2010-09-09T08:35:00.000-05:00

Walton College Alumni Society President Heather Nelson (BSBA '94) and team mate Debbie Blume (BSBA '08) will compete against eight other teams at the Walton College's 2nd annual Bon Appetit event later this month. Heather and Debbie are representing the Walton College Alumni Society board of directors at the event and will face off with representatives from the Business Alumni Advisory Council for a new award this year. The winner between these two teams will receive bragging rights for their board and a traveling trophy that will go back and forth between the boards each year, depending on the winner.

Heather and Debbie at an alumni event in Little Rock in 2008.

Heather and Debbie hope to put the BAAC team in checkmate position with their Chess Pie. If you want to help their team win this new rivalry, be sure to attend the event on September 23 and vote for their dish. Tickets are $30 for Arkansas Alumni Association members and $35 for non-members. All of the money received from voting will support the Walton College Alumni Society Scholarship fund. Register today!

Scavenger Hunt Winners!

2010-09-07T15:08:00.000-05:00

Stephen Ritterbush, an MIS student at the Walton College, is the winner of the Walton College's 2nd Scavenger Hunt. He is the lucky recipient of a $50 gift card courtesy of First Security Bank and a $50 gift card from Dillard's. He will also receive exclusive invitations to network with our alumni throughout the year.

One of the tasks in the hunt required Stephen to take a picture of his favorite thing about the Walton College. He submitted the following picture:

Stephen, we love our friends at the Career Center as well. Nice choice! :)

Congratulations are also in order for Walton College accounting/finance major Umanga Bastola. She is our runner-up for the Scavenger Hunt and will receive a $50 gift card from First Security Bank and a $25 gift card from Dillard's.

Thanks to all of those who participated this year!

Meet the Celebrity Caterers

2010-09-03T12:33:00.001-05:00

This year's Bon Appetit event is bound to be a sweet treat. We've lined up nine celebrity caterer teams comprised of Walton College alumni and faculty who are vying to win the coveted gold, silver, and bronze forks that represent top-chef status. The Dean's Choice award will also be presented again this year, and a new rivalry will be started among two of our advisory board teams.

Our celebrity caterers include,

Kit Brown (BSBA '05) & Scott Jackson (BSBA '05)
Ryan DeJarnette (BSBA '07)
Molly Jensen, Bill Curington & Alan Ellstrand (Walton College faculty team)
Rachel Kirksey (BSBA '09) & Mason Kirksey (BSBA '07, MBA '09)
Sarah Langham (BSBA '05, MACC '06), Lauren Kimbrough (BSBA '05) & Jessica Elliot (BSBA '06, MACC '07)
Brad Lawless (MIS '99), Jerra Nalley (BSBA '10) & Hannah Acord (BSBA '10)
Heather Nelson (BSBA '94) & Debbie Blume (BSBA '08) - representing the Walton College Alumni Society Board of Directors
David Russell (BSBA '78, MBA '79) & Alex Burris (BSBA '08)
Riley Shearin (BSBA '99, MBA '07), Blake Evans (BSBA '99) & Paul Morris (BSBA '97) - representing the Business Alumni Advisory Council

The teams will be profiled on this blog in the coming weeks, so be sure to check back for the scoop.

Until then, don't forget to register for the event!

Where's Walton? In Las Vegas!

2010-09-02T10:58:00.000-05:00

Earlier this week, the Walton College Alumni Society and Las Vegas Regional Razorback Group co-hosted an alumni Happy Hour at Veloce Cibo at the top of the M Resort. The group enjoyed beautiful views, drinks and appetizers, and - of course - a celebratory Hog Call.

Thanks to all of those who came out for the event!

Explore the Walton College Alumni Network

2010-08-30T08:52:00.000-05:00

The Walton College alumni network is a fast and friendly way to start building professional contacts. In this down economy, the stronger your connections, the more likely you are to find employment after graduation. This virtual scavenger hunt is designed to introduce you to the Walton College alumni network through various communication and networking avenues.

The grand prize winner and (5) of his or her friends will receive exclusive invitations to alumni events held throughout the year allowing for many opportunities to network with prominent Walton College alumni. He or she will also receive a $50 gift card courtesy of First Security Bank and a $50 gift card courtesy of Dillard's.

But that's not all! This year, our runner-up will also receive a $50 gift card from First Security Bank and a $25 gift card from Dillard's.

The scavenger hunt will end at midnight on Wednesday, September 1. Completed submissions emailed to alumni@walton.uark.edu before the deadline will be entered in the drawing for the grand prize and will receive a Walton College goodie bag and an invitation to select alumni & student events. You must be a current Walton College student to win. Members of the Student Alumni Association and First Security Bank account holders are eligible for additional entries in the grand prize drawing.

The first step in exploring the Walton College alumni network is to watch the YouTube video below. Save the link to this blog in your favorites or follow us through an RSS feed. This is a great spot to find news and advice from our alumni.

Good luck!

If you have any questions along the way, please email alumni@walton.uark.edu.

Save the Date (and room for dessert)

2010-08-27T08:48:00.000-05:00

Hosted by

John (BSBA '01) & Andrea Morris

and the Walton College Alumni Society

2908 North Old Dominion Way

Fayetteville, AR 72703

Benefitting the Walton College Alumni Society Scholarship Fund

$30 for Arkansas Alumni Association members

$35 for non-members

The Walton College Alumni Society is cooking up plans for the second annaul Bon Appetit event, which will showcase the hidden talents of our alumni and provide support for a needs-based scholarship. This is not your typical business networking reception! We have scouted out the Walton College’s finest foodies in Northwest Arkansas to compete for top-chef status and will be donating a portion of ticket sales to the Walton College Alumni Society Scholarship. So rather than sitting at home and watching celebrity chefs and food competitions on television, come out to enjoy an evening with fellow graduates. A ticket to the event will guarantee an evening of good food, drinks, networking opportunities and, best of all, support for a good cause.

Here is how it works. Our celebrity caterers will dust off their famous family recipes, slave over their stoves, and make your mouths water with their delectable treats. All you have to do is come to the event, eat, drink, and vote on your favorite. Your admission to the event will grant you (5) tokens to use for voting. If five tokens just isn’t enough to express your epicurean preferences, you may purchase more at the event. You’ll feel good about all those extra votes since all of the proceeds will directly benefit the scholarship fund (and are tax deductable)!

To register for the event, visit this page.*

or call 479-575-5425

Check back here over the next month to get the periodic sneak peak of our celebrity caterers and their recipes for success!

*Please note that you will need a username and password to login to the online registration site hosted by the Arkansas Alumni Association. If you have not logged in before, you may contact alumni@walton.uark.edu or help@razorbackroad.com to get started. If you would rather register over the phone, you may call Walton College alumni relations manager, Rachel Burton, at 479-575-5425.

Join Us Today!

2010-08-25T08:42:00.000-05:00

Students will receive a free Alumni-in-Training koozie courtesy of the Walton College Alumni Society, as well as instructions on how to participate in our 2nd annual Scavenger Hunt. The hunt begins next week and features some great prizes from First Security Bank & Dillard's!

Michael Cawthon: Finals Eve

2010-07-29T15:12:00.002-05:00

Michael Cawthon graduated from the Walton College in 1996 with a bachelor’s degree in economics. He also has a master’s of science in financial mathematics from the University of Chicago. He was previously a member of our Business Alumni Advisory Council and has returned to Fayetteville this summer to teach as an adjunct instructor. Formerly managing principal at Arjuna Capital Group, Michael is a private investor in NYC, but spends as much time in Fayetteville as possible. Links to his previous posts can be found at the bottom of this entry.

Money & Banking reached the home stretch this week, having named most of the animals in the financial zoo last week when we toured the vast array of financial securities and derivatives in existence.

This week we stepped back, starting with a survey of the regulatory landscape, moving on to an in-depth look at the Fed, and then concluding with a look at competing theories of economic activity and the role of money.

While not self-identifiying as Keynesian, Monetarist, Neo-Keynesian, etc. just yet, the class had been opinionated ("that credit default swap sounds like a bad idea"), and other times dismayed ("really, the Fed could just create an arbitrary amount of money if it wanted?"). The student effect had been fun to watch: the course is designed to give tools for assessing ideas and making judgements; it's rewarding to watch as the class immediately uses those tools to form views.

The final comes tomorrow...

Back to "The Hill" from "The Big Apple"
The Principle of Optionality

Saying "Thank You"

2010-07-29T09:00:00.000-05:00

Last week, the Office of Annual Programs hosted its 2010 Summer Thank-A-Thon. I was lucky enough to have the chance to participate and enjoyed it immensely!

When donors make a gift to the Walton College and University of Arkansas, they are thanked with letters, postcards and even emails. But, sometimes there's nothing quite like a personal phone call. Thank-A-Thon seeks to accomplish this by allowing faculty and staff from the University the opportunity to call donors just for the purpose of saying "thank you." Believe me, it's a feel-good exercise not only for the donors, but for all of us calling as well.

During the hour that we made calls, our small group reached over 250 households. I had the pleasure of contacting alumni and friends who had made gifts specifically to the Walton College and enjoyed saying "thank you" on behalf of the entire University.

Support from our donors is crucial to our future success as a business college. If you would like to make a gift to the Walton College, please email me or visit http://annualfund.uark.edu/givetoday.php. *

Jennifer Holland
Associate Director of Development
Sam M. Walton College of Business

*Please remember to designate the Walton College as your recipient.

Sam M. Walton College of Business

Walton College Dean Candidates to Hold Open Forums

Who's Who?

Chuck Dudley - Taking Responsibility for Your Retirement

Woo Pig Sooie in Dallas!

Chuck Dudley-Continue Your Education

And the 2011 Forks Go To...

Celebrity Caterer Spotlight: First Security Team

Celebrity Caterer Spotlight: Team WCAS

Celebrity Caterer Spotlight: The Boys--and Girl--of Summer

Celebrity Caterer Spotlight: Chase for the Fork

Celebrity Caterer Spotlight: It's Five O'Clock Somewhere...

Celebrity Caterer Spotlight: The SCREAM Cheesers

Thursday, September 15 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.

Celebrity Caterer Spotlight: Got sliders?

Celebrity Caterer Spotlight: Team "All-Madden"

Meet the Celebrity Caterers

Save the Date (and room for dessert!)

Chuck Dudley-Business Etiquette

Chuck Dudley - Building Your Network

Ashley Jancuska - Final Post

Ashley Jancuska - Week Three

Look Who Cooked up a Win

Celebrity Caterer Spotlight: Tis the Season for Sangria

Celebrity Caterer Spotlight: Crews'in through Finance

Katie Terrell - Brazil Wrap-Up

Celebrity Caterer Spotlight: To Market, To Market

Celebrity Caterer Spotlight: The Dogtown Delicacies

Celebrity Caterer Spotlight: Dip, Dip, Hooray!

Ashley Jancuska - Week Two in Review

Lindsey Price - Week Two in Greece (and a Little Time in Rome)

Save the Date (and room for dessert)!

Chuck Dudley - Dressing for Success in Today's Culture

Wednesdays with Walton

Ashley Jancuska - Week One in Italy

Katie Terrell - Week One in Brazil

Lindsey Price - Week One in Greece

Save the Date, Central Arkansas (and room for dessert)!

Ashley's Going to Italy!

Katie's Going to Brazil!

Lindsey's Going to Greece!

Congrats to the Class of 2011!

IBM Presentation Highlights 100 Years of Innovation

Chuck Dudley - What I Expect if You Work for Me

Chuck Dudley - TANSTAAFL!

Dillard's Professional Wardrobe Event

Wednesdays with Walton

Walton College Faculty Award Winners

Chuck Dudley - A First Time for Everything

2011 Arkansas Business Hall of Fame

Arkansas Business Hall of Fame Inductee: Leland E. Tollett

Arkansas Business Hall of Fame Inductee: Donald G. Soderquist

Arkansas Business Hall of Fame Inductee: Wallace W. Fowler

Arkansas Business Hall of Fame Inductee: L. Dickson Flake

'Tis the Season!

Retail Nxt

Alumni Share Their Wisdom with Students

And the Fork goes to....

Bon Appetit: The Icing on the Cake

Celebrity Caterer Spotlight: No Beans About It

Celebrity Caterer Spotlight: Bottoms Up!

Celebrity Caterer Spotlight: Everything's Better with Bacon

Celebrity Caterer Spotlight: The Other White Meat

Celebrity Caterer Spotlight: Faculty Team!

Celebrity Caterer Spotlight: Ryan DeJarnette

Celebrity Caterer Spotlight: Heather Nelson & Debbie Blume

Scavenger Hunt Winners!

Meet the Celebrity Caterers

Where's Walton? In Las Vegas!

Explore the Walton College Alumni Network

Save the Date (and room for dessert)

Join Us Today!

Michael Cawthon: Finals Eve

Saying "Thank You"

Thursday, September 15
6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.