Category Archives: News

UM-Flint Featured in the Princeton Review

The University of Michigan-Flint School of Management (SOM) is an outstanding business school according to the education services company The Princeton Review.

The School of Management is in the new 2013 edition of its annual guidebook, “The Best 296 Business Schools.”This latest recognition comes less than a month after SOM was named one of the Best Undergraduate Business Programs in the Midwest by U.S. News’ “Best Colleges 2013.”

“We consider UM-Flint’s School of Management one of the best institutions a student could attend to earn an MBA,” according to Robert Franek, Princeton Review Senior VP-Publisher. “We selected the schools we profile in this book, 280 of which are in the U.S.A. and 16 are international, based on our high regard for their academic programs and our reviews of institutional data we collect from the schools. We also solicit and greatly respect the opinions of students attending these schools who rate and report on their experiences at them on our 80-question survey for the book.”

The Princeton Review’s survey asked 19,000 students at the 296 schools their opinions of their school’s academics, student body and campus life as well as about themselves and their career plans. The student surveys analyzed for this edition were conducted during the 2009-2012 academic years.

“We are very pleased to have been recognized by Princeton Review in their 2013 annual guide book of Best Business Schools. This recognition succinctly reflects the quality of our academic programs. It could not have been achieved without the dedication and hard work of our faculty and staff,” noted Vahid Lotfi, senior vice provost and acting dean of SOM. The recognition is also partly based upon feedback from our students, many of whom face complex lives. We are truly proud of them.”

Some of the comments from students attending SOM in the profile include: “If you are looking for a ‘prestigious top school for management’ that offers a great deal of ‘flexibility,’ then consider the University of Michigan-Flint School of Management. The MBA program is ‘very structured and organized.'”

SOM’s Young Entrepreneurs

Two young entrepreneurs from the School of Management launched a successful website, mylifesecret, which already have postings from 10 different countries, and more than 900,000 page views since May 2012. Philip Pirkovic graduated with a dual degree in business management and economics. His brother, Saso, will graduate from the School of Management at the end of this year. A fellow School of Management marketing graduate, Taylor Hinds, designed the branding and graphics. The website provides a safe outlet for individuals to express themselves and seek out help when they have nowhere else to turn. The rates of cyber bullying, depression and suicide are skyrocketing among the young individuals. The two brothers found this unacceptable and wanted to make a difference. They are donating 20% of proceeds from their shirt sales to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. In the coming year, they plan to start the My Secret Life Foundation to combat bullying, suicide and depression alongside a mobile application.

Philip and Saso feel very strongly about the revitalization of the struggling economy in Flint, and they want their ventures to reflect this sentiment. The School’s Associate Dean, Dr. Yener Kandogan, says “It is this kind of entrepreneurial activity that provides the best hope for the region’s economy.” The brothers are looking at office spaces in the up and coming downtown corridor of Saginaw Street in Flint. All promotional printing is also done in the Flint area.

Dr. Mark Perry Testifies Before on Oversight and Government Reform

SOM Professor of Finance, Dr. Mark Perry, was invited to testify in front of the U.S. House of Representative’s Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hearning on May 31, 2012 on the topic of “Rhetoric vs. Reality: Does President Obama Really Support an “All-of-the-Above Energy Strategy?”.

Click here to view the entire hearing. Click here to view Dr. Perry’s testimony.

Click here for Dr. Perry’s full written testimony.