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.'”

UM-Flint Entrepreneurs Society Wins National Awards

(Chicago, Ill) The Entrepreneurs Society of the University of Michigan-Flint received special recognition and honors in two categories last week at the National CEO Conference. This premier event, in Chicago, featured three days of meetings, workshops and competitions (www.c-e-o.org) where the best universities compete in a number of categories. Out of 130 universities and more than 1400 students, representatives from University of Michigan-Flint placed 2nd in two categories: Best Fundraising Event, and Best Chapter Leadership.

Gannon O’Reilly, Chapter President, was honored as one of the best CEO leaders in America. His efforts at leading the Entrepreneur’s Society for the 2011-2012 year featured such innovations as the Work/Live Space launch in June, in partnership with the Flint Habitat for Humanity. This new business initiative was the first of its kind and is leading the way in urban re-development initiatives.

Another Entrepreneurs Society Member, Brooke Dziurman, led UM-Flint to the second place prize for the best fundraiser. This monumental effort resulted in $32,000 being raised and donated to a severely ill person battling brain cancer, all done in a 5 week period.

The Entrepreneurs Society was formed in 2007 as an academic club at the School of Management, University of Michigan-Flint. It presently has 109 members and a number of involved alumni and supporters in the greater Flint community.

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.

SOM Partners with Citizens Bank for Internship Program

The School of Management is partnering with Citizens bank to offer an internship program. The interview process for the program was held in April with ten students chosen for internship positions. Students with majors in Accounting, Finance, International Business and Marketing will participate in the intense training program May 14 through September 1.

Click here to read more from University of Michigan-Flint News.

Click here to read the article featured on MLive.

Dr. Brian Blume Receives UM-Flint Award

Brian Blume, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management was presented with the Scholarly and Creative Achievement Award. This award recognizes outstanding faculty performance at the University of Michigan-Flint. Dr. Blume was nominated for the award by other faculty members of SOM. He has served as faculty at SOM since 2006. Brian is an active member of the Academy of Management organization and serves on multiple committees for the School of Management.

Michelle Tolin, BBA Alumn, Receives Scholarship Award

Michelle Tolin, a BBA alumn was presented with the Detroit Chapter of the Institute of Internal Auditors Scholarship Award. Qualified candidates submitted a three-page essay on the following topic: Discuss the benefits of using social media in the internal audit process and provide specific examples.

Michelle is the first student from U-M Flint to submit an essay. Michelle received a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in Accounting and a GPA of 3.81. She is the national reporter for Beta Alpha Psi and will be the incoming Treasurer. She is also a member of Beta Gamma Sigma. She also volunteered with VITA and various food banks.

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.

New Master of Science in Accounting Program Being Offered

The University of Michigan-Flint School of Management (SOM) is excited to offer a Master of Science in Accounting (MSA) program for graduate students. The MSA program is designed to successfully prepare students for advanced careers in accounting. The MSA program enables students to fulfill the 150 credit hours required to become a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), and prepares them to successfully complete the exam. Students will graduate from the program with a superior understanding of accounting concepts and procedures.

“We look forward to offering the Master of Science in Accounting program at the University of Michigan-Flint. We’re excited about enhancing our program offerings to prepare students to become certified public accountants as well as work in other rewarding careers in accounting and business,” states Dr. Keith Moreland, Professor of Accounting.

The MSA program is taught in the NetPlus! format. NetPlus! is an innovative, mixed-mode program that blends the personal interaction of traditional classroom activities with the anytime, anywhere convenience of modern online learning making it accessible to busy students from a wide range of geographic areas. Applications are now being accepted for Fall 2012.

For more information on the MSA program click here.

SOM MBA Team Captures First Round Victory

On Saturday, January 28, 2012, three teams of MBA students faced-off against each other by presenting their analyses of a merger and acquisition case to an expert panel of M&A professionals during first round of the ACG Cup competition.

In what was called, “the best and closest competition in its three year history at UM-Flint” by lead judge Michael D. Malaga the team consisting of Xiaoyi Chen, Jaylen Etefia, Damir Galic, and Masih Siddiqui pulled out a narrow victory over their competitors.

“It was quite suspenseful,” noted professor Dale Tuttle, “as the panel of judges deliberated for nearly an hour before returning” to one of the new case rooms in the Riverfront Center where this year’s competition was held. “All the teams did a great job with both analyses and presentations. Knowing everyone had put so much effort into the process, it was a bitter-sweet moment when the winners were announced.”

Along with the satisfaction of winning, Xiaoyi, Jaylen, Damir and Masih will share a $1000 scholarship and go on to represent UM-Flint’s School of Management on February 11 during the regional ACG Cup Championship to be held at Wayne State in Detroit. Our students will be competing against teams of MBAs from UM’s Ross School, MSU’s Broad School and others as they vie for the $5000 first prize scholarship.

Tuttle noted that this year’s competition was part of a two-pronged approach to qualifying the MGT 589 Strategic Management MBA capstone course as a civically engaged course. “Aside from providing students with a very realistic case study judged by highly experienced professionals, each team was provided with three hours of mentoring over a two-week period by a member of a M&A professionals group. This kind of exposure is invaluable in preparing our students for successful careers post graduation.” In addition to the ACG Cup, MGT 589 students will taking part in a Community One project, analyzing the competitive positioning of a local business, meeting with its owner, and presenting their findings and recommendations at the end of the semester.

“It’s an exciting outcome to see a diverse team of MBA students representing China, Croatia, India, and the U.S.A. coming together to achieve success.”