CDPHP ANNOUNCES PEMBA GRADUATE, DR. NANCY A. SCHUSTER, AS NEWEST MEDICAL DIRECTOR

Dr. Nancy A. Schuster

Capital District Physicians' Heath Plan, Inc. (CDPHP)^® is pleased to announce the addition of Dr. Nancy A. Schuster as its newest medical director; Schuster is a 2009 graduate of the Physician Executive MBA program in the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, College of Business Administration. Schuster will provide leadership to and serve as a liaison between the physician community and CDPHP, while assisting with the implementation of the medical management, quality improvement, and resource management initiatives. She brings to CDPHP expertise in leading a hospitalist program, which will enhance CDPHP’s abilities to work collaboratively with area hospitals as they jointly pursue quality care for their members.

“I’m thrilled to welcome someone of Dr. Schuster’s caliber, passion and diverse background to our team,” said John D. Bennett, MD, president and CEO, CDPHP. “The addition of Dr. Schuster will help CDPHP provide even more assistance to our provider community, as we work together on initiatives to improve care for our members,” added Dr. Bennett.

Prior to joining CDPHP, Schuster was the medical director of the hospitalist and health resource management programs at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center. During this time, she earned the designation of Fellow in Hospital Medicine (FHM) through the Society of Hospital Medicine. Schuster also served as the medical director for Southwestern Vermont Healthcare VNA and Hospice and is certified by the American Board of Hospice and Palliative Medicine.

Schuster earned her medical degree from Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio; an MBA from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville; and a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology and chemistry from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. She completed her residency in internal medicine at the University of Vermont, Fletcher Allen Health Care.

About CDPHP^®
Established in 1984 as a physician-founded, member-focused, and community-based not-for-profit health plan, CDPHP and its affiliates are uniquely positioned to serve as a model of quality and health value, offering members in 24 counties throughout New York a full array of innovative products.

Remembering 9/11: Former Military, Now UT Faculty, Recall the Terrorist Attacks

KNOXVILLE —About twenty minutes before the first plane hit the World Trade Center, Lt. Col. James Cody had taken off from the coast of South Carolina on an F-16 military training mission. An F-16 pilot and squadron commander in the US Air Force, Cody was part of a four-plane formation heading out on a routine training mission over the Atlantic Ocean.

James Cody

Cody, who retired from the Air Force as a colonel in 2007, is now director of aerospace and Department of Defense non-degree programs for the Center for Executive Education in UT’s College of Business Administration.

The morning of September 11, 2001, Cody’s flight was denied clearance to enter military training airspace by air traffic control. This was very unusual, and all flight members were confused.

Then, across the emergency radio frequency on the jet, Cody heard the warning: “All continental US airspace is now closed.” Commercial planes were ordered to find somewhere to land as quickly as possible; military flights were told to return to their bases.

“We had no idea what had happened,” he recalled. But they knew, whatever it was, it was very bad and could mean their next mission wouldn’t be training, but the real thing.

Cody and his crew arrived back at their base in less than an hour.

“As soon as we landed, the crew chiefs told us everything that was going on,” he said. "They have hit both towers at the World Trade Center, and they just hit the Pentagon. They think there are more planes that are a threat."

The wing commander immediately had battle staff prepare base personnel for contingency operations and ordered aircraft be outfitted with wartime weapons. Cody and the others were able to get to a TV where they saw footage of the attacks and watched the aftermath unfold.

“I remember having two very extreme emotions,” Cody said. “Sorrow for the victims and anger towards the extremists, but also the feeling that the world had just changed forever, and so had our mission.”
For the next few months, Cody and his fighter squadron were assigned to fly missions in Operation Noble Eagle, to assist federal, state, and local agencies with homeland security efforts. The mission was to protect the airspace throughout the U.S. for major events—from football games to NASCAR races to other large gatherings—where officials feared the terrorists might try to strike again.

"There are moments in our lives that define who we are and what our future holds,” Cody said. “The events of 9/11 must never be forgotten."



An Air Force lieutenant colonel teaching wartime public relations strategy at the Air Force Public Affairs Center of Excellence at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama, White was at Air University in Montgomery, preparing for a lecture about wartime propaganda on September 11, 2011.

Andy White

White—a UT alumnus who was commissioned in the university’s AFROTC detachment—is now a lecturer in the Aerospace & Defense MBA program in the College of Business Administration.

On 9/11, when White and the others at Air University got news of the terrorist attacks, they immediately started speculating that the U.S. was headed to war.

“Because we knew we would be fighting an enemy that had no military bases and operated out of homes and restaurants and pharmacies and that they would try to mobilize the Muslim world in support of their cause, we knew the ‘battle for hearts and minds’ would be a big part of the conflict,” he said. “Needless to say, when I began my lecture two hours later, I had everyone’s attention.”

White went home to his family at the end of the day and they wondered what the coming months would bring.
“Because I had been researching and teaching wartime propaganda and media relations for two years and had led PR operations for other combat missions, I felt like I should be going with our first wave of forces,” he said.

He was worried about telling his wife how he felt.

“When I finally did, much to my amazement, I learned my wife, Deena, felt the same way. Deena was eight-and-a-half months pregnant with our fourth child on 9/11. Yet, her patriotism and love of her country trumped her desire to have her husband by her side for the delivery. With her blessings, I told my commander the next day that I would like to volunteer to deploy at the first opportunity. They agreed, and I left a few days later for Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia.”

White’s mother-in-law arranged to come to Montgomery to help out with Deena and the kids.

“Her mother arrived in Montgomery around dinner time on September 28. Deena went into labor two hours later, and Lauren Diana White was born late that evening,” he said.

“I learned of the birth by e-mail within hours. My first sight of Lauren was a digital picture of Deena holding her in her arms on a doorstep of a neighbor’s house with an American flag waving in the background.”
White was deployed for three months.

“Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld and Pentagon leaders chose a PR strategy of releasing very little information in the early phase of Operation Enduring Freedom, so in Saudi Arabia, my primary mission was to research data to support Pentagon responses to mostly unsupported allegations of collateral damage and civilian casualties,” he said. “However, we also built some fairly comprehensive communication plans for what we would release, how we would do it, and how it would influence the conflict if we took a more active PR posture. Those plans came in very handy when I deployed for the same role at the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom, where the Pentagon adopted a much more open PR strategy.”

“I learned a lot about how America and our allies plan for, manage, and execute a high-tempo war and the PR challenges that come with that. I also got to see up close and personal a bunch of great Americans patriotically rally in defense of our country and global security. I also saw once again how professional and capable our military really is,” White said. “My three-month deployment there at that time was one of the greatest privileges of my life.”

University of Tennessee Supply Chain Forum Adds Twelve New Sponsors

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Global Supply Chain Institute welcomes 12 new sponsoring companies to its Supply Chain Forum: APL Logistics, Averitt Express, Bayer Healthcare, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc., Dover Corporation, Ernst & Young LLP, Inmar, Martin-Brower, ModusLink, Nestlé USA, Procter & Gamble, and The Walt Disney Company.

Over 150 executives representing 47 companies currently sponsor the forum, making it the largest supply chain forum in the academic world.  

"Our Supply Chain Forum sponsors enjoy a wide range of benefits including education, networking, and recruiting top-ranked students," said Paul Dittmann, executive director of UT's Global Supply Chain Institute. "They learn best practices, arm themselves with practical ideas, have first-look access to the latest supply chain research,, and receive special pricing on UT executive education."

For nearly two decades, UT's top-ranked supply chain management faculty has hosted a U.S.-based forum for corporate leaders, professors, and students to share ideas about the latest supply chain issues. Held twice a year, the three-day meetings include presentations, breakout sessions, and networking receptions.  

The forum's 47 current sponsors include Alcoa, Amazon, Amway, APL Logistics, Averitt Express, Avery Dennison, Bayer Healthcare, BNSF Railway, Boeing, Boise Inc., Bush Brothers & Company, Caterpillar Logistics, Cintas Corporation, Colgate-Palmolive, ConAgra Foods, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Inc., Deere & Company, Defense Logistics Agency, Dell Inc., Dover Corporation, Eastman Chemical Company, Ernst & Young LLC, Estee Lauder, Honeywell International, Inmar, Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Kenco Logistic Services, Kimberly-Clark Corporation, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company, Lowe's Companies, Macy's, Martin-Brower, McCormick & Company Inc., ModusLink, Nestlé USA, Nissan North America, OfficeMax, OHL, Pepsico, Procter & Gamble, Radio Systems Corporation, Ryder, Terra Technology, The Walt Disney Company, Whirlpool Corporation, Winn-Dixie Stores Inc., and WWL Vehicle Services Americas Inc.

"The forum faculty's approach to supply chain management is unique," said Alan Wilson, CEO of McCormick Foods. "It reflects the real-world challenge of matching volatile global demand with ever-changing sources of supply. It represents the forefront of research in supply chain management and focuses on the complex problems companies face in today's global environment."

A natural outgrowth of UT's highly successful U.S.-based Supply Chain Forum is its new Global Supply Chain Forum, launched June 2011 in Paris, France, in partnership with the top-ranked ESSEC Business School. Similar in structure to the U.S.-based forum, the international forum enables members from multiple industries and a global faculty to focus on worldwide and region-specific supply chain issues in locations across the globe. 

UT's Global Supply Chain Institute, housed in the College of Business Administration's Center for Executive Education, unites under one umbrella the college’s broad spectrum of supply chain offerings. The institute includes the delivery of degree, non-degree and custom executive education programs; worldwide industry forums; research initiatives; custom programs; global partnerships; corporate audits;  and more. It brings a global perspective to supply chain issues through its relationships with academic institutions in Asia, Latin America, and Central and Western Europe. 

For more information on the Supply Chain and Global Supply Chain Forums, visit http://bus.utk.edu/supplychain and www.theglobalsupplychainforum.com respectively. 

For more information on the Global Supply Chain Institute, visit http://GlobalSupplyChainInstitute.utk.edu.

UT and ESSEC Host Groundbreaking Global Supply Chain Forum in Europe

The Global Supply Chain Institute at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, College of Business Administration co-founded with the ESSEC Business School a groundbreaking event in the European Union (EU) supply chain community. It hosted Europe's first Global Supply Chain Forum for supply chain executives and academics held in Paris, France.

UT Knoxville and ESSEC are two of the world's supply chain academic powerhouses. UT Knoxville's internationally ranked faculty members include some of the most-published academics on supply chain; ESSEC is a leading European business school and a world leader in executive education with expertise in logistics and supply chain.

"Participants from 11 countries and 29 organizations came together to discuss critical supply chain issues affecting today's global marketplace," said Shay Scott, director of UT's Global Supply Chain Institute. "We don't know of any other event in Europe that has provided a similar opportunity for dialogue about doing business in today's globalizing world."

Participating companies in the forum included its six founding members— BearingPoint, Caterpillar, Geodis, Honeywell, Johnson & Johnson, and Procter & Gamble—as well as other leading companies such as Air Liquide, L'Oreal, Nestle, Pfizer, Renault, Shell Oil & Gas, and Warner Music.

A predominant theme of the forum was the complexity of successfully applying supply chain principles in today's European market.

"Many companies with a presence in the EU have operations in over 25 different countries, each with its own language and culture," said Scott. "Although it is tempting to regard the EU as a single entity, companies must instead negotiate an intricate balance between globalizing and localizing their operations."

The forum included presentations and break-out sessions on cutting-edge practices, trends, and key industry issues, plus a variety of networking events. Key discussion areas included the differences between U.S. and EU supply chain management, the opportunities that are created when demand-generating and supply chain activities are successfully integrated, and the challenges of product distribution in an increasingly urban European environment.

"By 2030, over 80 percent of the world's population will live in urban areas, versus about 50 percent today," said Scott. "Forum attendees were particularly concerned that current global supply chains are not scalable in this type of environment. For instance, urban environments drive increased traffic congestion and pollution, lower levels of customer service, and additional failure opportunities within a supply chain. Forum participants discussed how to successfully face these challenges while also being environmentally responsible."

"As a supply chain professional working in Western Europe, I was positively impressed by the forum participants' level of understanding of the global industry," said David Jammes, the senior manager for supply chain management for Procter & Gamble Europe. "The forum's linking of 'real-life' situations with academic concepts opened our minds to a broader perspective."

Subsequent Global Supply Chain Forums will take place in North America, Central and Eastern Europe, Asia, and Latin America. They will be held in collaboration with UT Knoxville; the ESSEC Business School in Paris (France) and Singapore; and the Central European University (CEU) Business School in Budapest, Hungary.

"We believe collaborating with a select group of internationally renowned institutions creates a unique opportunity for each academic partner to bring its strengths, capabilities, and points of view to the forum discussions," said Ted Stank, Bruce Chair of Excellence in the UT Knoxville College of Business Administration Department of Marketing and Logistics.

To learn more about the Global Supply Chain Forum, visit http://www.theglobalsupplychainforum.com

UT's College of Business Administration Offers Scholarships to Veterans

The College of Business Administration at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is proud to offer financial support to US military veterans admitted to any of the college's master's or Ph.D. graduate programs.

The scholarships are part of the Yellow Ribbon GI Education Enhancement Program (Yellow Ribbon Program), which allows degree-granting institutions in the US to fund tuition expenses that exceed the in-state tuition and fee rate. Institutions can waive up to 50 percent of those expenses, and the Department of Veterans Affairs will match the same amount as the institution. 

Under the program, which was instituted after 9/11, UT's College of Business Administration will admit up to 10 veterans who are deemed eligible by the US government's Department of Veterans Affairs for the Post-9/11 GI Bill; each will receive $3,000 a year in scholarship support for his or her degree if needed, and the amount is not to exceed the full cost of tuition and fees. The Department of Veterans Affairs will match the school's $3,000 funding per admitted student. 

"These men and women enrich the classroom experience with their unique perspectives, wealth of knowledge and depth of experience," said Dean Jan Williams. "We are honored to be able to make our programs available to those who have served our country."

Benefits will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis. 

For more information about the Yellow Ribbon Program, visit http://registrar.utk.edu/veterans_affairs/yellow_ribbon_info.shtml.

For more information about the UT Knoxville College of Business Administration, visit http://bus.utk.edu.

Cutting Costs without Cutting People

The April issue of Industry Week has a feature article on Cutting Costs without Cutting People with contributions from Bill Peterson and Mandyam M. Srinivasan, faculty members at the University of Tennessee's Center for Executive Education. The following snippets are from the original article that can be accessed here.

Reducing labor presents only limited opportunity for cost reductions in any event, Srinivasan says, pointing to the fact that labor typically accounts for only about 10% of a manufacturer's costs. "When you try to cut those costs, at most you can cut 10%, but there's no limit to how much you can grow your business," he says.

Bill Peterson is quick to point out that lean is a growth strategy, not a cost-cutting exercise. "In essence, it keeps people employed."

UT's Executive MBA Program Again Nationally Ranked

KNOXVILLE -- The executive-level MBA programs in the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, College of Business Administration rank in the Top 50 among executive MBA programs across North America, according to the Poets & Quants for Executives ranking. This composite ranking measures the overall reputation of executive MBA programs by considering the latest ratings from Business Week, The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times and U.S. News & World Report.

UT Knoxville's executive-level MBA programs ranked 45th among all public and private universities in North America and 20th among all public universities. UT's full-time MBA program recently was ranked by Poets & Quants as 71st among all public and private universities in the United States and 34th among all public U.S. universities.

The five University of Tennessee executive-level MBA programs currently offered are the Executive MBA for Strategic Leadership, Physician Executive MBA, Aerospace & Defense MBA, Global Supply Chain Executive MBA, and Professional MBA.

According to the Poets and Quants website, the ranked executive MBA programs "tend to be among the most innovative of all the MBA programs, a fertile place for imaginative partnerships among business schools and for novel experimentation."

The complete executive MBA rankings are available at http://poetsandquantsforexecs.com/2011/02/16/our-new-ranking-of-the-best-executive-mba-programs/2/.

"It's an honor to be considered among the world’s best executive MBA programs and recognized for our unique approach to executive MBA education," said Carolyn Cuddy, director of UT Knoxville's executive-level MBA programs. "Our students are transformed during their time with us, and they continue to transform their organizations and employees well after they graduate."

The UT Knoxville executive-level MBA programs are not alone in garnering impressive rankings for the college. The College of Business Administration's executive-level MBA programs, full-time MBA program, undergraduate business curriculum and supply chain/logistics curriculum are also ranked by organizations and in publications such as U.S. News & World Report, Financial Times, The Princeton Review, Modern Healthcare, EdUniversal, The Journal of Business Logistics, AMR Research, Supply Chain Management Review and Forbes.

Global Supply Chain Forum Holds Inaugural Meeting

This June in Paris, two internationally ranked universities will bring together world-class industry and faculty leaders to discuss global supply chain issues, opportunities and best practices.

The inaugural meeting of the Global Supply Chain Forum, scheduled for June 28-29, is a collaboration between the U.S.-based University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and ESSEC Business School (Paris and Singapore). UT Knoxville's internationally ranked faculty members include some of the most-published academics on supply chain. ESSEC is a leading European business school and a world leader in executive education with expertise in logistics and supply chain.

"When we started talking to our collaborating partners, we agreed to create a Forum that offers something truly distinctive in global supply chain management," said Shay Scott, director of the Global Supply Chain Forum. "The Forum is the only supply chain meeting that convenes in five different strategic world locations. This gives attendees an opportunity to learn how supply chain issues are managed around the globe while networking with peers from different countries and regions."

Subsequent Global Supply Chain Forums will take place in North America, Central and Eastern Europe, Asia and Latin America. They will be held in collaboration with UT Knoxville and the Instituto de Logistica e Supply Chain (ILOS) and the Central European University (CEU) Business School in Budapest, Hungary.

ILOS specializes in supply chain management and evolved from the prestigious COPPEAD Graduate School of Business in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; CEU Business School offers one of the top MBAs globally.

"We believe collaborating with a select group of internationally renowned institutions creates a unique opportunity for each academic partner to bring its strengths, capabilities and points of view to the Forum discussions," said Ted Stank, Bruce Chair of Excellence in UT Knoxville's College of Business Administration Department of Marketing and Logistics.

The Forum will be a mix of presentations, breakout sessions and networking events.

"We've moved away from a traditional format to something more interactive so participants have more of an opportunity for open dialogue," Stank said. "We've found that some of the best learning comes from talking to colleagues and engaging in informal benchmarking."

According to Philippe-Pierre Dornier, head of the department of operations management for ESSEC Business School, "as multinationals extend their supply chains, they often become more complex and costly and less responsive. Our Forum speakers are innovative supply chain strategists from global companies. This makes the Forum an ideal setting for executives who want exposure to best-in-class practices that will enable them to optimize supply chain performance while mitigating risk."

The unique global focus of the Global Supply Chain Forum will be evident in the innovative Global Supply Chain Executive MBA launching in February 2012 by UT Knoxville and its academic partners. As one of the only executive MBAs to focus on global supply chain issues, the 16-month Global Supply Chain EMBA offers a "campus" that stretches across four continents and is taught by an internationally diverse world-class faculty.

"We understand the challenges of global supply chain management and are developing opportunities, such as the Global Supply Chain Forum and Executive MBA, to help leaders bridge the information gap," continued Stank.

UT Re-Designs Executive MBA for Strategic Leadership

There is a new breed of executive MBAs emerging from the College of Business Administration at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. No longer are the students solely skilled tacticians. They are keen strategists too. 

The Executive MBA for Strategic Leadership has been re-tooled to prepare future business leaders for the ever-changing global environment challenging participants to think two levels above their current position, notably at the chief executive level. 

"Our re-design was a direct result of listening to our customers," said Kate Atchley, program director. "Our students and participating companies asked us to invest more time teaching strategic thinking skills to these high-potential individuals in order to ready them for significant leadership responsibilities."


In today's business environment, profitability demands impact business strategies. "Cross-cultural leadership is a requisite to organizational success," continued Atchley. "Supply chains are more complex and often less responsive and efficient. We must ready our students to not only take on these challenges but be leaders as well."

The program's average student is 42 years old and has 17 years of managerial experience.

The program now includes more class time spent on leadership development, an increased emphasis on global supply chain issues, and additional content on organizational competitive strategy. 

Additional program enrichments include:
• Enhanced focus on strategic thinking; 
• A more comprehensive leadership development plan that evaluates and improves each student's leadership style and potential;
• Integration of leadership development throughout all four residency periods;
• More C-level guest speakers talking candidly about successes and failures;
• Improved opportunities for cross-collaboration and networking; and
• The addition of optional deep-dive learning sessions on specific areas of interest.


Established in 1994, the Executive MBA for Strategic Leadership is a one-year, residency-based program in which three residencies are spent on the UT Knoxville campus and the fourth is an international immersion outside of North America. 

The revamped program builds upon an already strong curriculum customized for today's global leader. C-level guest speakers address unique strategic concerns, leadership development plans are customized for each student, and class assignments deliver significant ROI for each student and organization.

"One thing we did not change was our applied-focus corporate action projects, or CAPs," said Atchley. "This program-long project applies student learning to specific areas within each one's organization to deliver significant personal and organizational ROI. This program is our hallmark and will continue to drive millions of dollars of operational improvements."

A core competency of the program is the UT College of Business Administration's supply chain management and logistics program, which is internationally ranked in sources such as U.S. News & World Report, Supply Chain Management Review, and Transportation Journal. 

The UT Knoxville College of Business Administration executive-level MBA programs are top-ranked by Financial Times, Modern Healthcare, and U.S. News & World Report. 

The UT Executive MBA for Strategic Leadership is one of five strategically developed niche-market executive-level MBA programs in UT's College of Business Administration; the other four are the one-year Physician Executive MBA, the one-year Aerospace and Defense Executive MBA, the 16-month Global Supply Chain Executive MBA, and the 16-month Professional Executive MBA weekend program.

UT Center for Executive Education Expands

The Center for Executive Education (CEE) in the College of Business Administration at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, welcomes several new individuals. Lea Anne Law joins the center as assistant director, Healthcare Business Solutions programs; Brian Wright joins as contracts and business manager for the center’s National Defense Business Institute; and Mark Bucco is the center’s new operations manager. Susie Hill was promoted to the center’s director of technology.

Lea Anne Law

Law has spent more than 20 years at UT, both as director for communications and outreach for the University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine and previously as marketing manager for University Outreach and Continuing Education on the UT Knoxville campus. She has received more than 90 international, national, and regional awards for publication management, strategic planning, writing, and creative campaigns.

Law brings extensive healthcare expertise to CEE. At the Graduate School of Medicine, she was responsible for on-site accreditation and certification compliance for continuing medical and dental education (CMDE); overseeing grant applications and financial management for certified CMDE educational activities for licensing healthcare professionals; writing, editing, and producing institutional publications; public relations planning; and managing special events.

In 2008, Law was named a Certified Continuing Medical Education Professional (CCMEP) by the National Commission for Certification of CME Professional, Inc. The Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education approved her as a national site surveyor for continuing medical education providers seeking re-accreditation. In June 2009, she was selected as one of two site surveyors for the re-accreditation of the FDA and the U.S. Army. She also is one of about 80 Tennesseans currently accredited in the practice of public relations. She earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in communications from UT.

Brian Wright

As contracts and business manager of the center’s National Defense Business Institute (NDBI), Wright is responsible for NDBI contract management, business operations, and supporting research projects.

Prior to joining the center, Wright served as subject matter expert at SAIC, where he supported the business unit responsible for Department of Defense financial services. One of his major accomplishments was developing and teaching a “Basics of Public Sector Accounting” course to help educate new or current employees of the fundamentals of this core government process. In addition, Wright worked as a program manager at strategic systems programs (Department of Navy) in Arlington, VA, where he lead a $70 million financial software upgrade. He also worked as consultant for RGS Associates, Inc. (defense contractor) in Washington, DC, focusing on command level strategic planning.

Wright brings experience and a proven track record of success in customer relations, contract management, personnel management, and the ability to translate customers’ technical requirements into achievable goals. He received his MPA from UT.

Mark Bucco

Bucco joined the Center for Executive Education from Harvard Business School where he served as manager, course consulting and marketing services for its executive education team.

Bucco specializes in operations management and, at Harvard, was instrumental in tapping into his team’s collaborative nature to develop a metrics-driven system that influenced the creation of new program content based on executive demands. He worked to develop a competitor analysis system to measure competitive pricing, program content, and level of service.

Bucco also held management positions with American Airlines, Inc. in the areas of scheduling, human resources, planning, sales and marketing, and customer service. He worked as part of a team to design a state-of-the-art, multi-million-dollar airport facility for American Airline’s terminal at Logan Airport in Boston.

Bucco received his bachelor’s degree in speech communication from Ithaca College and a master’s in management from Lesley University. He completed the Achieving Breakthrough Service program at Harvard Business School and the Lean Applied to Business Processes program at the University of Tennessee’s College of Business Administration.

Susie Hill

Hill joined the Center for Executive Education in January 2010 after earning her MBA from UT. Although she came on board as assistant director of the Professional MBA and leadership programs, she quickly was promoted to the center’s director of technology.

Hill is responsible for all technology and strategic IT initiatives across the center, including the development of a new web site and customer relations management software application. She has provided innovative thinking and recommendations toward the use of technology throughout the entire UT College of Business Administration.

Hill brings over 15 years of web-based and information technology experience to the center. Before joining academia, Hill held several positions with Clayton Homes, including business architect and project manager and web developer. In those positions, she managed and led a $3 million process improvement initiative; facilitated technology upgrades for 4,000 users; and initiated a re-design of customer relationship management application for Clayton’s sales division. She also worked for Bechtel National, Inc.; eLanguage (a former dot com start-up of The Learning Company); Computer Learning Center; First Tennessee Bank; and as an independent technology consultant in the non-profit sector and with various multi-national corporations.

UT Supply Chain Program Ranked #2 in the U.S.

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, supply chain management and logistics program was ranked #2 among all universities across the United States by Supply Chain Digital. The online publication recognized only five academic institutions.

According to Supply Chain Digital, the universities that were recognized produce the very best and brightest talent in the supply chain management field.

Supply Chain Digital ranked UT Knoxville #2 because of its 50-year heritage in playing a major role in the supply chain arena and its recent entry into the arena of Vested Outsourcing, a major development in the world of supply chain collaboration. Vested Outsourcing is a revolutionary “win-win” approach to outsourcing that is improving service and reducing costs for both the company that is outsourcing and its service provider since both have a vested interest in the relationship.    

The supply chain and logistics program at UT has plenty of national accolades to make recruiting there an extremely viable decision for the future of any company, reported Supply Chain Digital.

In addition to the Supply Chain Digital recognition, the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, supply chain and logistics programs are internationally ranked in U.S. News and World Report, Supply Chain Management Review, Transportation Journal, AMR Research, BearingPoint, and Journal of Business Logistics.

Supply Chain Digital is a digital media site for supply chain professionals and executives responsible for all aspects of managing this environment. Complete rankings are available at http://www.supplychaindigital.com/industry-focus/supply-chain/top-universities-and-programs-supply-chain-management.

Terry Esper, UT Associate Professor of Logistics, Honored by Greater Knoxville Business Journal

Terry Esper, associate professor of logistics in the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, College of Business Administration, joined the esteemed family of the Greater Knoxville Business Journal's "40 under 40.” The “40 under 40” program, now in its fourth year, annually honors 40 individuals younger than 40 years of age for contributions to their professions and community.

“Joining this incredible group is a real honor,” said Esper. “The Knoxville area has so many amazing professionals. I feel privileged to have been selected.”

“The Greater Knoxville Business Journal celebrates individuals younger than 40 who have not only achieved success in their professional careers, but also make the region a better place to live and work because of their philanthropic efforts,” said Amy Nolan, editor of the Business Journal. “This year’s class, representing individuals working in business, nonprofit, government and academia, was selected from more than 200 nominations.”

Esper joined the University of Tennessee Department of Marketing and Logistics in 2003. He is an award-winning educator and researcher, winning the 2010 inaugural F. Perry and Elaine Ozburn Award for Innovative Research from UT’s Department of Marketing and Logistics, the Bernard J. LaLonde Best Paper Award from the top academic logistics journal The Journal of Business Logistics, the 2009 UT MBA Award for Excellence in Teaching, the 2009 UT Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, and UT’s prestigious 2008 Hardy Liston Diversity Award.

Esper is a three-time recipient of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship, an Eno Transportation Foundation Fellow, and a two-time participant in the Council of Logistics Management Doctoral Symposium.  He was chosen as the 2001 Federal Highway Administration UTC Student of the Year from the University of Arkansas and was a finalist for a university-wide graduate student teaching award.

Esper is passionate about leveraging supply chain management for success. “I am a strategist.  I want to understand why some companies manage supply chains better than others and what differentiates the best-in-class from the rest-in-class.”

Esper’s research has appeared in several academic journals, including The Journal of Business Logistics, the International Journal of Physical Distribution and Logistics Management, Journal of Retailing, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, the Transportation Journal, and several conference proceedings.

Prior to joining academia, Esper worked as a senior traffic administrator and logistics solutions strategic planner for Hallmark Cards, Inc. and Hallmark.com.  He also conducted transportation research for the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department and the Federal Highway Administration.  

Registration is now open for the Theory of Constraint Institute programs at UT

Registration is now open for the Theory of Constraint Institute programs at UT. TOC for Project Management, Finance and Measures will be offered February 28-March 4; TOC Philosophy and TOC in Distribution & Replenishment offered April 4-8; and TOC Thinking Process and TOC in Operations will be offered July 11-15.

Exams for certification will be offered at the end of each program week.

Please visit http://TOCInstitute.utk.edu for more information.

UT Recognized Internationally for Business Education by Eduniversal

The College of Business Administration at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has a strong reputation nationally and internationally, according to the 2010 Eduniversal survey, which ranked the top 1,000 business schools worldwide.

The college received "three palmes," indicating an excellent business school that is nationally strong and has international links. Palmes substitute for stars, which are typically used in rankings; a multicolored palme is part of Eduniversal’s logo.

Eduniversal asked the deans from each of the 1,000 selected business schools worldwide to decide which ones they would recommend to students by answering the question, "Which business school(s) would you recommend to anyone wishing to study in this country?"

Their responses were given to a committee of nine independent academic experts, who then ranked each of the 1,000 institutions.

Created by SMBG, the leading company in France in student orientation, www.eduniversal.com was launched in October 2007 to serve as a search engine for all new higher education projects and international recruitment

The College of Business Administration in the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, also has garnered top rankings for its undergraduate business curriculum, full-time MBA program, executive-level MBA programs, and supply chain/logistics curriculum by organizations and in publications such as U.S. News & World Report, The Princeton Review, Modern Healthcare, The Journal of Business Logistics, AMR Research, Supply Chain Management Review, Financial Times, and Forbes.

Business Majors Win Top Prizes at Fall 2010 Vol Court Competition

Two UT business students are one step closer to success after taking the top two prizes at the 2010 Vol Court Pitch Competition. Kaliv Parker, a sophomore in business, and Aeron Glover, a junior in industrial engineering, came in first place with howstheliving.com.

Jake Baron, a senior in accounting, took second place with Turtlebak.

(l to r) Joy Fisher with UTRF, Aeron Glover, Kaliv Parker, Tom Graves with ACEI

Vol Court is a series of eight, free, how-to seminars led by entrepreneurs and business experts from across the state. The program is a joint effort of the University of Tennessee Research Foundation (UTRF), the College of Business Administration’s Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (ACEI), and Technology 2020′s Center for Entrepreneurial Growth (CEG).

Howstheliving.com allows students to provide firsthand feedback on host families, residence halls, and apartments. The website is free for basic users; users who register for a premium account have the ability to contact other students who have commented on residences or host families.

Turtlebak is a company producing a unique, single-strap backpack that distributes weight higher and more evenly than traditional backpacks, creating a more comfortable fit. The backpack is constructed from Neoprene fabric that is durable, waterproof, and stretchable, making it ideal for both academic and recreational use.

“Vol Court is a great way for students and faculty to learn about what it takes to start a business,” said Joy Fisher, director of marketing and business development at UTRF. “People who want to create a new company can both learn from experienced entrepreneurs and network with other people who can help them advance their ideas.”

(l to r) Joy Fisher with UTRF, Bob Parker of Parker Business Consulting & Accounting, Jake Baron, Tom Graves with ACEI.

As the first-place winner, howstheliving.com receives $1,000 from the Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, space in the UTRF Technology Business Center for one year, one year mentoring from Technology 2020’s Center for Entrepreneurial Growth (CEG), 12 hours of accounting advice from Parker Business Consulting and Accounting, and seven hours of legal advice from Miller & Martin LLC. The total package is valued at $23,000.

The second-place prize package awarded to Turtlebak includes $500, nine hours of accounting advice from Parker Business Consulting and Accounting, space in the UTRF Business Incubator for six months, one year of mentoring from CEG, and three hours of legal advice from Miller & Martin LLC.

The pitch competition was the culmination of Vol Court, an eight-week series of one-hour entrepreneurial speakers covering a variety of topics entrepreneurs face when starting a business. The speaker series is held once a year and is open to all UT students and faculty.

UT MBA Marketing Students Visit Dallas for Extended-Campus Shopper Marketing Experience

Many of the marketing concentration full-time MBA students at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, recently packed up and headed for Dallas, TX.  Their mission – to see firsthand how Frito-Lay’s SMART [Shopper Marketing and Retail Testing] Learning Center generates and applies shopper insights, and how an agency, specifically CROSSMARK, operates at the front lines of consumer goods in-store execution. 

Consider it mission accomplished.

Most of the marketing concentration MBA students are part of a major transformation in UT’s College of Business Administration in which the focus of the marketing education and research is turning toward shopper marketing, a discipline nothing short of the tip of the spear in consumer goods marketing, sales, and retailing. 

Shopper marketing is about influencing consumers when they are on the path to purchase.  It’s a collaborative blending of retailing, branding, and sales efforts, with a heavy emphasis on analysis and shopper insights. Along with social media, shopper marketing is one of the fastest growing segments of consumer goods marketing today.

While visiting Frito-Lay, a strategic partner of the college’s, the students spent time with business leaders discussing the advanced cross-disciplinary research being conducted at the SMART facility and how those insights related to Frito-Lay strategies.  They also spent time with the president of CROSSMARK and other CROSSMARK leaders discussing the critical role of agencies and brokers and the role that CROSSMARK plays in collecting Nielsen consumer purchasing data. The students also visited at least six different retailers to examine merchandising and back-room operations. 

Although the long days spanned into the weekend, the students unanimously found that the experience significantly enhanced their in-class learning.

The Dallas visit occurred two weeks after the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, College of Business Administration hosted its second annual Shopper Marketing Executive Summit.  Planned by the college’s Shopper Marketing Forum, the executive summit brought in 45 senior managers nationwide from retailers, manufacturers, research companies, and marketing agencies, many of whom were C-level executives, to engage in two days of discussion with faculty, students, and each other about shopper marketing challenges. 

“The Dallas visit was a first, but it will become an extended-campus annual trip in which students and faculty will reach out and connect to partner organizations nationwide,” says Dan Flint, full-time MBA marketing faculty member and director of the Shopper Marketing Forum. 

                                                    

Alumni of the full-time MBA program are extremely impressed with the MBA program’s new shopper marketing initiative: “What UT is doing is amazing.  It’s so cool.  I wish we had this when I was there!”

And current MBA students also are reacting very positively: “This is great, but I can only imagine what the shopper marketing program will look like a few years from now!  It’s going to be awesome. There’s nothing else like it in the country.” 

The vision for the University of Tennessee College of Business Administration is to be the country’s go-to university for shopper marketing expertise.  Achieving this vision will be a collaborative journey with many exciting milestones along the way.  Thanks to partners such as Frito-Lay, PepsiCo, CROSSMARK, Bush Bros., Mars Advertising, Anderson Merchandisers, and Pilot Travel Centers, the voyage will be exciting for students, faculty, and businesses.

Bruce Behn awarded the Pugh & Company Accounting Faculty Excellence Award

On October 25, the University of Tennessee’s Department of Accounting and Information Management (AIM) hosted its annual Beta Alpha Psi (BAP) Honors Banquet in recognition of accounting program donors, students, faculty, and staff.  The evening commenced with an introduction from the BAP Alpha Lambda Chapter President Rachel Oakley.

Daniel Murphy, Deloitte & Touche Professor in Accounting and AIM department head, recognized the department’s donors and scholarship recipients. Generous alumni and firm donations allowed the department to award over $125,000 in scholarships to 85 students for the 2010/2011 academic year.

Murphy recognized Bruce Behn, Ergen Professor of Business,  as the Pugh & Company Accounting Faculty Excellence Award recipient. Behn also is highly recognized for his research publications in top journals such as The Accounting Review, Journal of Accounting Research, and Contemporary Accounting Research.

Jan Williams, Stokely Foundation Leadership Chair and dean of UT’s College of Business Administration, concluded the evening by presenting the Linda & Herbert Rhea Excellence in Teaching Award to Murphy. In addition to serving as the department head, Murphy serves as the University of Tennessee’s NCAA Faculty Athletic Representative and chairman of the University Athletics Board.  He also teaches international taxation and global issue strategy in the Master of Accountancy program.

SunTrust Foundation Gifts $25K to UT Business School

The SunTrust Foundation has gifted $25,000 to the College of Business Administration Finance Department Enrichment Fund at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

"The SunTrust Foundation has been a long-time and an extremely valued partner of the college and the Department of Finance," said Jim Wansley, Clayton Homes Chair of Excellence and head of UT's Department of Finance. "This gift will allow the finance department to maintain and enhance support of students and faculty."

"On behalf of the SunTrust Foundation, we are very pleased to be in a position to continue our long-standing support of the University of Tennessee and its College of Business Administration,” said Mike Butler, chairman, president, and CEO of SunTrust Bank, Eastern Tennessee. “During a period of economic stress when budgets are highly constrained, we are excited that the SunTrust Foundation is in a position to provide meaningful financial support to UT. At SunTrust, we believe strongly that if you build your community, you build your bank."

The SunTrust gift is part of the Campaign for Tennessee, UT’s $1 billion fundraising effort.

UT Professor Reappointed to Accounting Advisory Group

Joseph Carcello, the Ernst & Young and Business Alumni Professor in UT's College of Business Administration's Department of Accounting and Information Management and the director of research for UT's Corporate Governance Center, was reappointed for a third term to the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board's (PCAOB) Standing Advisory Group (SAG).

The PCAOB was created by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act to oversee auditors of public companies in the U.S. and has standard-setting, inspection and disciplinary authority over all accounting firms that audit public companies. The SAG was created by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act to provide advice to the PCAOB related to its standard-setting role.

The SAG has approximately 35 members. Carcello is one of only five academics in the group and is the first accounting academic member to be reappointed to three terms.

Other SAG members include the chief governance officer of Prudential Financial, vice president of Delta Air Lines, Americas vice chair for Ernst & Young, senior vice president of Comcast, the deputy managing partner of Deloitte & Touche, vice president of finance for Eli Lilly & Company, as well as other prominent individuals from the accounting, business, investor and legal communities.

Carcello’s current term runs from 2011 to 2012; his two previous terms were 2006 through 2007 and 2008 through 2009.

Carcello teaches auditing, corporate governance and financial accounting courses at UT Knoxville at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Carcello also is an active researcher in the areas of corporate governance and fraudulent financial reporting.

UT National Defense Business Institute Researches Time as Variable To Constrain Weapon Systems Cost

The National Defense Business Institute (NDBI) in the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, College of Business Administration is partnering with Monitor Government Venture Services to research “Time as an Independent Variable” or TAIV™ as a tool to help constrain weapon systems cost.

The U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics has identified the setting and managing of shorter program timelines as one of his key acquisition efficiency initiatives.

The question NBDI is addressing is just how much time is the right amount of time that should be allocated for a particular defense program? This study will establish a methodology for making that determination through a process that uses TAIV™ in a way similar to the approach that uses “cost” as an independent variable (CAIV).

“It is crucial to have a reliable way of establishing a defense program that produces the most capability at a predictable cost and fielded in time to make a difference on the battlefield,” said David Patterson, NDBI executive director.

Results of this study will be submitted to and reviewed at the Journal of Aviation and Aerospace Perspectives 20 October Meeting in Atlanta, GA.