Christina Wright

Full-time MBA Candidate 2015, Finance and Accounting

Undergraduate Degree: International Affairs with a minor in Economics

Undergraduate School: Northeastern University

Organizations involved with: MBAA, GFIN, Dean Advisory Council

Tell us about your professional background and why you decided to return to school to achieve your master’s degree.

After earning my BA in International Affairs with a minor in Economics, I started my professional career in Nonprofit Marketing and Fundraising. As my role in fundraising grew, I started to do more strategic planning, budget development, and financial analysis. While fundraising and marketing were rewarding, I quickly started to realize that my professional strengths were more closely related to financial analysis and strategic planning. At that point, I began speaking with finance professionals to learn more about different career paths and opportunities. Ultimately, I decided to make the switch in order to utilize those skills more fully. I didn't study Finance or Accounting in undergrad and knew that I needed to gain more quantitative and analytical skills to make the switch. This was one of the main reasons I decided to get my MBA.

What factor(s) did you consider when choosing a master’s program and why did you choose UIC Liautaud for your graduate study?

The first factor I took into consideration was the return on investment. I felt UIC Liautaud would provide me with the necessary skills and knowledge to be competitive and relevant in today’s market.Secondly, I wanted to transition to Finance, I knew being located in a major metropolitan area was essential. Chicago is one of the top global financial centers in the world and for me that closeness to a major financial community was extremely important. Also, another important factor was the impressive alumni network. The ties in the business community created by Liautaud alumni are expansive. 

Tell me about your first year at UIC Liautaud.

During my first and second semester I was a part-time student and worked full-time for a nonprofit organization. During those two semesters, I realized I wanted to get more involved at a deeper level. I wanted to hold a leadership role in a student organization, as well as develop more skills that would allow me to better transition into Finance. After my second semester, I decided I wanted to switch from being a part-time student to a full-time student.

What was the process like switching from part-time to full-time?

The process was very easy. It was as simple as registering for the amount of hours I wanted to take. I did speak with Liautaud staff for guidance, and everyone was very helpful and understanding. Another element that I really like about UIC Liautaud was the composition of the courses. All my courses, then and now, are mixed with both part-time and full-time students. The diverse student population really lends itself to more interesting and insightful class discussions.

Would you say the flexibility of the program worked to your advantage?

Definitely, having the option to switch from part-time to full-time or vice versa is an enormous advantage. Also, the accessibility of the Liautaud faculty and staff is invaluable. They want us to realize our professional goals and aspirations.

What advice would you provide to incoming UIC Liautaud students?

Business school is such an experience and journey. To capitalize on your experience it is critical to get to know what UIC Liautaud has to offer, both inside and outside the classroom. In the classroom, we have great professors that have a wealth of knowledge and they want to share that knowledge with us. Outside the classroom, there are so many opportunities to get involved and develop skills that will make you even more ready to land a job or get promoted when you graduate. During this journey, go for the breadth first, then the depth. The size of the program allows you to explore more and get involved quickly. Through student organizations, Teaching Assistantships, Graduate Assistantships, and internships you have a great opportunity to gain relevant experience that only adds to the value of your education. 

Associate Professor of Marketing in the UIC College of Business Administration, Jelena Spanjol, is not only a pivotal asset to the Interdisciplinary Product Development (IPD) program, but also a researcher developing insights into the realms of managerial studies and innovation. Dr. Spanjol’s most recent research looks at how values impact job satisfaction. With the help of two colleagues from the University of Wollongong and the University of Western Sydney, they take a look at the environmental values of Australian engineers and how their values relate to their respective company's values and how those values affect job satisfaction. The research suggests employees and employers that share similar values about the environment will lead to a magnified increase in job satisfaction. The research will appear in an upcoming article in the Journal of Business Ethics. Dr. Spanjol's research is a great value to businesses looking to increase their employees' job satisfaction. 

More information on Dr. Spanjol’s research

UIC News – Impact of corporate values on employees’ job satisfaction

Journal of Product Innovation Management - The interplay of customer and product innovation dynamics: An exploratory study

Marketing Letters - Marketing’s roles in innovation in business-to-business firms: Status, issues, and research agenda

More information on IPD

New Corporate Partners for IPD Program | The Ultimate Real World Experience

University of Illinois at Chicago Interdisciplinary Product Development

In the fall 2014 semester the Liautaud program is offering several unique two-credit course options.  What makes these courses unique is that they are short courses that only last eight weeks out of the semester and they focus on developing professional skills that will assist in launching and developing a successful career.  Topics taught include project management, web analytics, and improvisation & leadership to name a few.

MBA 500:  Corporate Strategy
Section 1:  Monday, 8/25-10-13.  Instructor:  Betsy Hill
Section 2:  Tuesday, 10/21-12/9.  Instructor:  Mark Shanley

Analysis of major strategic decisions affecting the long-term performance of a firm and its ability to sustain competitive advantage.

MBA 590: Improv & Leadership.     Instructor:  Michael Popowits
Section 1:  Monday, 8/25-10/13.  
Section 2:  Monday, 10/20-12/8.

Using improvisational theater techniques taught in workshop exercise of graduating difficulty, this course creates a safe laboratory for students to experiment with the elements of their own executive presence. This is a “presentations course” where students study how to present themselves in a variety of executive communication modes: networking, interviewing, creative team leadership and impromptu speaking situations, like client interactions or expert panel discussions.

The course is taught by Michael Popowits, a 20-year faculty member of the UIC College of Business Administration, and an executive communications coach who worked with executives in dozens of industries in the US, Europe, and Asia. Professor Popowits has also studied the art of improvisation for years and currently teaches weekend classes and directs student ensembles at the Second City Theater in Chicago.

Personal Financial Planning: Technical and Practical Considerations.   Instructor:  Mark Gilbert, CPA/PFS
Monday  8/25 – 10/13

Over a 45-year period, personal financial planning has evolved from a “consultative” way to sell insurance and investment products in the retail marketplace to a process that helps individuals understand and improve the likelihood that they will attain the financial resources needed to accomplish their lifetime financial and lifestyle goals.  The evolution continues today for consumers as investment, tax and risk management decisions become increasingly complex, and for financial planners that strive to develop businesses featuring efficient organizational and technological design, clear career progression paths, and sustainability beyond the founders’ working lives.  The course will touch on the subjects which a financial planner must be knowledgeable of in order to advise clients in a professional financial planning engagement.  Practically, it will explore some of the compliance, ethics and business considerations impacting a fee-only financial planning practice.  The course is for anyone interested in understanding basic financial planning for his or her own personal benefit or as a career choice.

Project Management.  Instructor:  John Fyfe.  Thursday, 8/28-10/16

The project management discipline is a twenty-first century core business process because it enables profit generation by maintaining tight controls on expenditures with a proactive view of project events, allowing organizations to manage initiatives with predictable outcomes, in terms of costs, time and other resources.
This course provides an introduction to the project management discipline, and specifically to the concepts inherent in the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification process.  The course focuses on real-world cases to build the foundational skills for students to be able to participate effectively in projects and ultimately to manage them.

Creating Careers That Count.  Instructor:  Dave Kreischer.  Tuesday, 8/26 – 10/14

In a highly dynamic, well-educated and globally competitive marketplace, relevance has replaced loyalty as a basis for relationships—which includes the contract between employee and employer.  Since the marketplace dictates what is relevant, you are free to create a career that really counts for you as long as it counts for the marketplace.  This eight-week course will explore the three steps to creating a career that counts for you and for the marketplace:

•    Defining your difference-making strategy
•    Discovering your marketplace relevance
•    Demonstrating and delivering your difference-making capability with highly relevant impact.

The Venture Process.  Instructor:  Ronald L. Kirschner, MD.  Thursday, 8/28-10/16

Examines investment strategies, structures and policies in the venture capital process. Students in this course will explore the following:  the process, sourcing and screening of deals; evaluating a business opportunity; valuation and the term sheet; due diligence and investing’ monitoring, exit and returns.  Students should have completed the core accounting, finance and marketing courses before enrolling.  

Ronald L. Kirschner  is president of Heartland Angels, Inc.  Dr. Kirschner has a broad background in healthcare, start-ups and practiced as a doctor of anesthesia for 17 years.  While practicing medicine, he started three companies of his own in the healthcare field dealing with nutrition, managed care and lobbied the state government on funding and marketing strategies for both entrepreneurs and early stage companies.  He was a VP of the Biotechnology Venture Fund (started by the China Development Industrial Bank) where his role was to assist in discovery and fund development.

Social Entrepreneurs Leading Change.  Instructor:  Anna Lloyd.  Wednesday, 10/22-12/10

This course focuses on the integration of social enterprise tools into the traditional business curriculum, as an  essential component of a business school curriculum:  some students will pursue direct employment in this area; others will remember the curriculum as they decide to join a nonprofit board or serve as the director or chief operating officer of a service delivery organization.  This eight-week course is one that looks at integrative leadership, the development of business skills with public policy and philanthropy skills, which support cross-boundary, multi-sector entrepreneurship and enhance our ability to build teams and attract investment.

Managing Enterprise Data & Analytics.  Instructor:  Kyle Cheek.  Wednesday, 10/22 – 12/10

Enterprises are increasingly turning their attention from the capture and maintenance of business data to a focus on very sophisticated analysis of that data. This shift is motivated by a belief that the vast quantities of data created through transactional, operational, web, and other sources contains valuable insights into customer behavior, market trends, and new operational efficiencies. This course will provide a survey of the emerging practice of business analytics, covering topics including: business data, its sources, its potential, and its challenges; a comparative view of analytic practices and maturity across industries; and critical considerations in the management of analytics within a business.

Web Analytics.  Instructor:  Doug Lindquist.  Tuesday, 10/21 – 12/9

Modern firms rely heavily on the Internet to promote their products. Their own websites are especially important, since visitors can reveal their interests by their browsing behavior. Web analytics gathers and processes this information to learn more about their customers. This analysis allows assessing a website's effectiveness along metrics like web traffic and how long customers spend at pages. Web analytics offers a source of competitive advantage for both gaining new customers and keeping existing ones. This course will introduce students to the fundamentals of web analytics. Students will learn to use Google's online and offline software tools. The course will emphasize how these tools help inform marketing decisions.

Course topics include:

- Key concepts and terms and their usage
- Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and their importance
- Visitor behavior analysis
- Developing and aligning KPIs with strategic objectives

Applied Consulting.  Instructor:  John Fyfe.  Thursday, 10/23 – 12/11

The Applied Consulting course is an introduction to the client-consultant engagement process typically used by consulting and professional services firms.  Students who aspire to go into the consulting industry will particularly benefit from this course, as will those who intend to serve as an internal consultant or operations analyst within any public or private sector organization.  However, since most public and private sector management personnel end up working on projects for their organizations at some time in their careers , this course will be of interest to all MBA students.
The class will be conducted as a guided workshop for students to work in a professional consulting role to address a real life client problem as a case study. Each student will work in a team with some other students (depending on the number of students enrolled) working as consultants to create, manage and execute a client engagement that addresses their problem. Each week, each team will work on producing some interim deliverable, such as they would to a real client. Each team will then produce a final project report with recommendations, which they will present during the last class.

Business Data & Decision Making.  Instructor:  Murad Gharibeh.  Wednesday, 10/22 – 12/10

The tools of statistics and data analysis are increasingly more important for business managers, and this course is designed to provide those who have not previously studied in these areas with tools that they will need both for their MBA studies and in addressing analytical challenges in their work.  The course covers basic tools of statistics:  distributions and relationships, probability and sampling distributions,  hypothesis testing, regression, etc.  In working with data analysis, it covers collecting and organizing data, sort the distractions from the truth, find meaningful patterns, draw conclusions and predict the future, and present findings.

If you have any questions about these courses and/or the registration process please contact the Liautaud programs office at 312-996-4573 or email Dawn Birkland or James Brown.

Full-time MIS Candidate 2014

Industry/Field of work: Advisory Services Risk Practice

Undergraduate Degree: Computer Engineering 

Undergraduate School: Sardar Patel Institute of Technology, Mumbai University

Organizations involved with: ISACA, INFORMS

Tell us about your personal and professional background.

I completed my bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering from Mumbai, and I decided to immediately pursue my master's degree in MIS after graduation. Studying in a diverse environment like that of UIC gave me the opportunity to shed light on hobbies, religions, ethnicities and backgrounds that I was not exposed to before, and I really learned a lot from these exposures. Also, I gained a tremendous amount of professional experience through my internships and it helped me in improving my networking skills.

What factor(s) did you consider when choosing a master's program and why did you choose UIC Liautaud for your graduate study?

I wanted to pursue my master's in Management Information Systems since it is a perfect blend of technology and business principles. I realized I was a people person and I loved communicating and solving business problems rather than just pure software development. Reputation of the institute, course structure, and diversity amongst students were some of the many factors I considered when choosing my school. UIC Liautaud fit these criteria perfectly and here I am writing this blog :)

We all know that people pursue graduate school to increase their business knowledge, but since you have started the program, what has been the most unexpected gain the program has given you?

The most unexpected and valuable gain from my master’s program has been the strong professional business network that I have developed through my internship and course projects. I also got the opportunity to keep myself updated with the recent industry trends by talking to experienced professionals at work.

Which class/professor has been your favorite thus far and why?

I loved the Information Systems Strategy and Policy course (IDS 515) with Professor Ranganathan Chandrasekaran. This course helped me understand how businesses can leverage IT and digital technologies to maximize business performance. It was an amazing blend of classroom problem solving and experiential learning via the live project.

What is your favorite aspect of UIC and why?

My favorite aspect about UIC would be the amazing attitude of faculty members towards teaching and the fact that every faculty member is easily approachable. UIC Liautaud’s faculty is committed to providing students with real-world learning opportunities which allow expanding professional connections and leveraging fresh ideas. They also give opportunities to interact with business experts and entrepreneurs to promote hands on learning.

Tell us about your internship experience.

I completed my summer internship as a Business Analyst Intern at McDonald’s Corporation and I also worked with the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Group as an Enterprise Application Support Intern. My internship experiences taught me tremendously about the operations in a technical corporate world and how professionals deal with solving real-time business problems.

I got the opportunity to talk to various vendors at McDonald’s and to also meet Mr. Don Thompson-CEO of McDonald’s Corporation. With CME, I learned new things, like Confluence and JIRA, and I also visited the CBOT Trading Floor, as a part of my internship experience.

What is the best part about your UIC Liautaud experience?

The best part about my UIC Liautaud experience has been my individual growth as a person. Regularly networking and pushing myself to talk to people I don’t know has helped me increase my confidence tremendously. I have made some really good friends and learned lessons that will stay with me for life.

Full-time MBA Candidate 2014

Concentration: Finance

Undergraduate degree: Economics, History

Undergraduate School: University of Wisconsin

Career Goal: Doing what I love

Organizations involved with: GFIN

Tell us about your personal and professional background.

I am a second year MBA student with a concentration in Finance. I have worked in the restaurant industry as a server, and also worked at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Group as a runner for a summer. This past summer I completed an internship with Bronner Group, a public sector consulting firm. I am from Highland Park, IL and studied at the University of Wisconsin. I earned degrees in History and Economics. The areas of study I enjoyed were the economics of growth, and American History.

What prompted you to return to school to achieve your master’s degree?

I was very interested in opening a restaurant chain prior to coming to business school. I always loved cooking and wanted to run restaurants where I could provide the vision for the menu and restaurant. I wanted to develop the business acumen so I could succeed in one of most notoriously difficult industries. I knew getting an MBA would give me all the tools I needed, such as how to market my restaurant, how to finance it, how to keep the books, and how to manage personnel. Although I knew I wouldn't be doing all these tasks by myself, I wanted to understand all the facets of the business so I could oversee them. During my time here I developed a strong passion for finance and believe that to be my current career path, but hopefully, down the line if all goes well in finance, I can still open a restaurant afterwards. But for now, I am really excited about what a future in finance holds for me, and look forward to pursuing this career path.

What factor(s) did you consider when choosing a master’s program and why did you choose UIC Liautaud for your graduate study?

I chose UIC because it was in the heart of Chicago. I knew I wanted a career in Chicago, and thus, unlike undergrad, I believed that grad school was more about studying in the city you want to pursue your career in, rather than going off and getting new experiences. Also, since I was initially interested in starting my own business, I knew UIC had a good entrepreneurship program that I believed would help facilitate my goals.

We all know that people pursue graduate school to increase their business knowledge, but since you have started the program, what has been the most unexpected gain the program has given you?

The most unexpected gain has been people I have met at this program. Between friends and Professors, I feel much richer as a result of attending UIC in terms of knowledge and personal capital. Additionally, the strength of the finance program was an unexpected benefit. The passion of the Professors has been passed on to me, which surprised me since finance was not at all what I was interested in when I began graduate school.

Which class/professor has been your favorite thus far and why?

It is hard to pinpoint one class, and better to highlight the entire finance program. I am constantly learning new things that cover wide swaths of finance. I look forward to every class I attend, and regret if we ever don’t have a chance to cover all the material.

UIC Liautaud professors are continuously involved in researching new business trends and innovations. How have you felt the professors have been able to integrate their theoretical knowledge into practical applications? Do you have any examples?

One class that has really provided a strong foundation for putting theoretical knowledge into practical applications is FIN 455, Asset Management with Professor Oleg Bondarenko. That class taught me many advanced financial models that are used in the real world to construct optimal portfolios provided given certain objectives. I can now go into interviews and comfortably speak about models like Black Litterman, GARCH, Factor Models, and others as a result of this class. I can now show that from day one I will have valuable and practical knowledge that can be applied to a career in finance.

What is your favorite aspect of the UIC campus and why?

I really like how close the UIC campus is. At the University of Wisconsin, it was a big deal to see your Professor, and if you did, it usually meant you were in some sort of trouble. Here Professors greet you with open arms. They are so knowledgeable and passionate about their work that you can even discuss topics beyond the scope of their courses, and they won’t give you a hard time about how busy they are. Additionally, you have class with a lot of the same people so you can lean on your peers to help you through your courses. My peers really helped me a lot, and I wouldn't have accomplished what I wanted to accomplish without them.

What advice would you provide to incoming UIC Liautaud students?

I would recommend to not be afraid to take a course because it seems hard. Graduate school is about hard work, but it’s also about reaping the fruits of that hard work. If a class seems interesting, but you’re concerned you might struggle through it, take it because professors are patient and willing to help. If you find classes that are interesting and will benefit your career, you probably need those courses under your belt to achieve your desired level of success. Things will only be harder in the real world, whereas if a class is difficult in graduate school, you can always lean on the assistance of the professor to guide you through.  Don’t be intimidated, because in the end, you are only limiting your dreams.

Tell us about your internship experience?

This summer I worked at a public sector consulting company called Bronner Group. I was able to work on multiple audits, work with Federal departments, and provide recommendations on different issues. The experience boosted my confidence and taught me a lot about the consulting industry.

What is the best part about your UIC Liautaud experience?

The best part of the UIC experience has been the classes. The classes have allowed me to form new, long lasting friendships. Additionally, the professors helped me realize what I would be passionate about. I can rattle off a long list of great finance professors that will really impart a great deal of knowledge on students. I feel great that I can leave this program confident in the skills I gained from this program, and see how the work I put in, will directly translate to success in the future. UIC has also exposed me to people from a variety of different backgrounds, and really broadened my perspective on the world. 

Is there anything you wish we would have asked you, that we did not and you wish to share with students?

I first want to thank all my professors in this program. Every class has provided me value to the point where when I look back on any class, I can say “This is what I learned and this is how it can help my career.” I also want to thank my classmates for making every day of school one that I looked forward to. Finally, I want to thank admissions for accepting me into the program and giving me the confidence that I could one day attain the level of success I hoped for myself.

Earlier this month the IDS Department in conjunction with the Center for Research in Information Management (CRIM) brought the best and the brightest students together to showcase their work and problem solving skills. Throughout the semester teams of students, both undergraduate and graduate, worked to solve real-world business problems facing Chicagoland companies.

After diligently working to solve these Management Information System problems, each student group showcased their solutions to faculty and staff, as well as several executives and potential recruiters. This event was an amazing opportunity for students to learn from each other, and network with industry professionals.

After the presentation and judging of each project, an undergraduate and graduate project winner was announced.

Undergraduate Winner
IDS 406; Instructor: James Erickson
Students: Waqas Aslam, Lukasz Koprowski, Alexander Kubacki, Jessica Loyo
Project Title: System and Process Review for Forecasting Material Requirements for Rail Car Maintenance
Sponsor: TTX

Graduate Winner
IDS 507; Instructor: Matthew Liotine - 82
Students: Manjari Bhadra, Stephen McDowell, Faisal Mohammed, Amit Tripathy
Project Title: Mobile Timekeeping
Sponsor: Tovar

The projects covered a variety of solutions - for example students: Namratha Sawant, Ravikanth N, Simranjit Gill, Srikanth Perni worked to develop a website implementation strategy for más.

"It was a really great experience to work with real companies and

present fresh ideas that they may not have considered before! "

Tovar - Mobile Timekeeping

Students: Manjari Bhadra, Stephen McDowell, Faisal Mohammed, Amit Tripathy

To get more information about the Spring 2014 CRIM Student Projects Expo you can contact Rachel Marrow at rlmarrow@uic.edu.

Earlier this month, UIC Business hosted a  High Frequency Trading (HFT) Roundtable Discussion. This was an insightful analysis of hot topic issues that have been recently brought to light by the release of Michael Lewis' new book "Flash Boys: A Wall Street Revolt." 

UIC Finance Professors who are recognized leaders in the area of Market Microstructure, Professors Rosenthal, Murphy, and Bondarenko, shed some light on what it all  means and how it affects financial markets and investors.

The event was held at Jak's Tap for both current students and alumni. This event was a great opportunity for those interested in Finance and High Frequency Trading to learn more about developments in the industry and current issues. Additionally, following the discussion, a Q&A session led to further insights and understanding as many audience members facilitated further dialogue. 

Some of the topics covered during the conversation were:

• What are the Pros & Cons of HFT firms in financial markets?
• Is the market really rigged against investors?
• How valuable is a millisecond to traders? What about a microsecond?

"It was a current discussion with a diverse representation of the views of HFT and its function in the exchanges as well as the surrounding regulation.  I’m excited to finish reading Flash Boys!"

- Michael Bley, MBA Candidate 2015

This past month, the UIC Liautaud MBA Association cooked and served a wholesome lunch consisting of chicken alfredo, rosemary roasted potatoes, and salad for those at the Lincoln Park Community Shelter.  The team of five students gathered together to serve in camaraderie and in support of the LP Community Shelter. Throughout the year, student organizations periodically volunteer at the community shelter.

While lending a hand in the kitchen and serving food to men and women who are experiencing homelessness, students saw first-hand how valuable volunteering their time can be. They also learned how the LPCS provides interim housing, meals, and a targeted array of social services to over 300 people each year. 

Reviewing the recipe to ensure the meal is worthy of a Michelin Star!

You can't have pasta without salad!

Danni and Megan, cooking the sauce. Did we mention the sauce was made from scratch? 

Our All-Star volunteers included:

Danni Zheng

Lynn Zhang

Alicia Smith

Flor Fernandez

 Aaqib Adnan

                                                  Megan Smith

Full-time MSA Candidate 2014

Industry/Field of work: Accounting-Auditing

Undergraduate degree in: Accounting & Management Information Systems

Undergraduate School: University of Illinois at Chicago

Career Goal: To become the leading partner at my company

Organizations involved with: Accounting Club

Interests/Hobbies: Fishing, swimming, exploring in the woods, exercising and body building, participating in marathons, running with my dogs, shopping, watching movies, and cooking new recipes

Internships: The Children’s Place Association - Staff Accountant Assistant Intern, Chicago Transit Authority - Program Management & Technology Resource Intern, Chicago Transit Authority - Finance/Comptroller’s Office Intern, Crowe Horwath - Audit Intern

Favorite Chicago Activities:  Segway tour of Chicago and the architecture river cruise

Favorite Chicago Restaurants: Benihanas, Damenzos, Lalos, Café Iberico, and Fogo de Chao

Hometown: Southeast side of Chicago

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Tell us about your personal and professional background.

Personal: I come from a Mexican heritage family. I grew up on the Southeast side of Chicago, about ten minutes away from Hammond, Indiana. I am the first of my family to attend college, and I am very proud of that because growing up was a struggle in my family. 

Professional: I started working at the age of 14 as a Loan Officer Assistant with Charter One Bank. It was a summer job that I liked very much. After that, I spent five years working as a Retail Clerk with Hyman’s Ace Hardware. While working for Ace Hardware, I was also working as a Tax Associate with H&R Block for the 2011 tax season. After the tax season was over, I started working as a Staff Accountant Assistant Intern with the Children’s Place Association, which is a non-profit organization that helps low-income families find a home and provides them with financial assistance. After the staff intern position, I worked as a Technology Resource Intern with the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) in which I was deeply involved in providing resources to the managers of the various contracts that CTA was involved with. Within a year after working in the Project and Technology department, I was working as an intern in the Comptroller and Finance department. Most recently, I worked as an Audit Intern with Crowe Horwath which is one of the top ten accounting firms. I look forward to working as a full-time Auditor with Crowe Horwath and obtaining my CPA within the next year.                                     

What prompted you to return to school to achieve your master’s degree?

The MSA program at UIC will help me achieve one of my short term goals, which is to pass the AICPA examination. The MSA program has classes that are designed to help students get prepared for the CPA exam, therefore the MSA program will give a student a higher chance of passing the CPA. A master’s degree in Accounting will give me an advantage of obtaining a management position right away, as I start working in an accounting firm. To be an auditor, I also need to be knowledgeable with all the phases of a company’s day to day business operations and the MSA program will also equip me with that knowledge. 

Which class/professor has been your favorite thus far and why?

My favorite professor has been Debra Hopkins, who taught ACTG 535 Advanced Auditing and ACTG 484 International Accounting. I liked Debra Hopkins' class, because she is a very nice and highly intelligent professor that cares about the well-being of every one of her students. I like that Debra is highly committed to her classes, and she contributes so much to her students. Because of her great fostering teaching style, I have learned a lot from the two classes I took with her, and I feel confident about passing the FAR and Audit sections of the CPA exam. Most of all, Debra is an inspirational woman for any student who is in the accounting profession.

What is your favorite aspect of the UIC campus and why?

My favorite aspect of UIC is Douglas Hall and the newly remodeled 3rd floor quiet section of the UIC Richard Daley Library. I like Douglas Hall, because it connects with other buildings like Lincoln Hall and Grant Hall. I also like the individual study rooms that it has on all the floors, especially when dealing with group projects, because these rooms have a door and plenty of table space inside. I like the newly remodeled 3rd floor of the library, because not only is it a quiet study area, but the seating is right next to a gorgeous view of downtown Chicago.

What advice would you provide to incoming UIC Liautaud students?

The advice that I would provide to incoming UIC Liautaud students is to never give up. There may come times when life brings you obstacles that might make you think you want to give up. But don’t. I have always thought about the following quote, “When Life Brings You Lemons, Make Lemonade.” I can further advise students to never be afraid to ask questions, always be proactive in class, and read the required readings before class so you can get more involved in class discussions. Not only do you gain more insightful information from the lecture, but also it lets you ask meaningful questions that will help you clarify your questions or doubts. I would also advise students to take Professional Presence with professor Michael Popowitz, because this class will shape you as a professional and you can exponentially improve how you present and how you are perceived as a person. Before I took this class, I was shy to attend social gatherings and was afraid to approach strangers at networking events, but this class really helped me. Last and foremost, do not procrastinate. If you can try and complete the assigned assignments ahead of time that is even better.

Many courses require students to complete a project that applies course concepts to real world situations. If you have had a course project that was very insightful, what course was it for and what did you like about the project?

ACTG 525 Corporate Valuation provided me with a research/analysis project that I gained a lot of insight from. The project involved choosing an industry and analyzing three companies within the same industry. The project was divided in four different parts. The project required us to do strategic and competitive analysis, analyze the company’s financial performance and management approach, analyze the company’s 10-K, examine the company’s disclosure of executive compensation. Additionally we had to determine if the compensation was aligned with the company’s strategy, and most of all if the compensation was accurate and fair. Furthermore, we had to analyze the company’s corporate governance policies, and at the end of the project we had to provide the professor with our recommendation of what our company’s valuation would be for the next five years. What I liked about the project was that it increased my accounting and analyzing knowledge and it allowed me to understand how a company approaches ways to manage their success and create value for their shareholders.

Have you met Scott Schneider? Well, if you haven't it's only a matter of time, because Scott Schneider is one of the newest additions to the UIC Liautaud staff. In May Scott joined the Student Services team as an Academic Advisor, and I wanted to take a moment to find out more about Scott and share some fun facts about him with the Liautaud Community. Read on to see what I learned!

Fun Facts About Scott

Hometown: Wyomissing, PA

Favorite Part of the Day: Winding down my day with my fiancé.

Favorite Activities: Singing in a summer choir in Evanston, wine tasting, dinner and game nights with my friends, and spending time with my siblings, nephews and nieces.

Favorite Chicago Restaurants: Bin 36, La Tasca (Arlington Heights), Don Juan's, Cooper's Hawk

1. Tell us a little about your personal/professional background.

I have four older siblings, three sisters and a brother. I was born in Illinois, but we moved to Pennsylvania when I was in 3rd grade because of my father's job. I graduated high school and then went to Penn State where I received my Bachelor's degree in Psychology. I ended up moving back to Chicago to attend DePaul where I received my Master's degree in Counseling.

2. How did you end up working at UIC?
Prior to UIC, I worked as a Counselor in Elmhurst School District 205 and Chicago Public Schools. I was interested in looking for something different, ideally working with older students. And so, here I am.  

3. What are you most excited to do as a Student  Services Advisor? 

I am excited about meeting students and helping to support and guide their education during their time at UIC. 

4. What critical information should students know about?

While the intensity of the Spring 2014 semester is behind us, things are just heating up at UIC Liautaud. This summer is jam packed with preparations for the welcoming of the Fall 2014 incoming class and the fall semester. Assisting in these preparations will be Colette Armes, UIC Liautaud's newest addition. In May, Colette joined the Admissions team as Assistant Director of Admissions. As one of the newest additions to the Liautaud community, I wanted to take this opportunity to find out more about Colette and her new role at UIC Liautaud. Check out what I learned!

Fun Facts

Favorite Chicago Activities/ Places: White Sox games and outdoor summer concerts

Favorite Chicago Restaurants: I’ve only been here a few weeks, so I’m still exploring and open to great restaurant suggestions!

Favorite Part of the Day: My morning walk to work from the train station and getting to know my new peers in the Liautaud office!

Hometown: Clarkston, Michigan

1. Tell us a little about your personal/professional background.

I always knew I wanted to be in a profession where I could help people, so I earned my B.S. in Psychology from Northern Michigan University in Marquette, Michigan. During my time in college, I worked in various roles in the restaurant industry and was active on campus as a member and coach of the NMU Dance Team. I left Marquette after graduation and moved to Kent, Ohio to pursue my Masters of Education in Higher Education Administration and Student Personnel at Kent State University. During my time at Kent State, I worked in many capacities including new student orientation, experiential education, and career services specifically with the College of Business Administration. My main role however, was in enrollment management and student services for Kent State at Geauga (one of Kent State’s 8 regional campuses), where I worked mainly with undergraduate admissions and new student orientation. 

2. How did you end up working at UIC?

I’ve wanted to move to Chicago since I was a teenager, but the timing had just never been right. As graduation from my Masters program was quickly approaching, I was on the lookout for jobs in the Chicago area. One day, my roommate saw a job posted at UIC that seemed like a perfect fit for my skills and interests. I immediately loved it, so I applied and the rest is history!

3. What are you most excited to do as a member of the admissions team?

I am most excited to begin meeting with and helping prospective students throughout the admissions process and to start building new relationships through recruitment events.

4. What critical information should students know about?

I am always here to help! I’ll do my absolute best to get your questions answered and your concerns addressed as soon as possible. 

The UIC Liautaud MBA program offers students exciting opportunities to gain firsthand experience about foreign business systems and cultures with two unique study abroad options in Brazil and Europe. This summer, five students packed their bags and headed to Brazil for a thrilling adventure. Students studied alongside international business leaders, developed an understanding of another business and cultural environment, and sharpened their global business skills in an international market. Our students that participated in Doing Business in Brazil 2014 had an awesome experience, but don't take our word for it! Read on for a firsthand account of Doing Business in Brazil 2014.

"After being informed about the Doing Business in Brazil Study Abroad program available for Liautaud students, I knew that it was a unique opportunity that I would have to take. I applied for the program and while preparing for the trip, I became uneasy thinking of the long flight and the new atmosphere that I would have to adapt to. However, after continuously communicating with my fellow study abroad participants from various schools, I became more excited and reassured that I would have a great experience; and a great experience it was! While in Brazil, I completed an interesting course with about 24 unique individuals from various schools such as University of Chicago, Northwestern University, Duke University, University of Notre Dame, and of course University of Illinois at Chicago.  As I learned about Brazil’s culture, business organization, economy, infrastructure, and much more, I also viewed beautiful areas of Brazil like the Cristo Redentor in Rio de Janeiro. Doing Business in Brazil was an incredible experience that allowed me to meet now life-long friends and learn about business internationally. I recommend this trip to all UIC Liautaud students because I believe it has truly enhanced my knowledge of business and, obviously, my resume. To add, why not receive 4 credit hours for an international two-week course?" - Ariana Taylor, MBA Candidate 2015

 Chicago MBA Students

Ariana Taylor at Cristo Redentor, Rio de Jeneiro

        

 

 

 

 

                     

 

First day of class at Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV)

 

 

 

 

 

Company visit to Natura

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A quick bite before class                         

 

 

 

                  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First dinner in Brazil 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ah! The View!!

 

 

A night of sushi!

              Want to learn more about these exciting opportunities? Email asklgsb@uic.edu for more details!

Concentrations: Finance / Management

Industry: Financial Services

Undergraduate Degree In: Industrial and Systems Engineering

Undergraduate School: Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education

Career Goal: Continued growth in the financial field

Interests/Hobbies: Watching sports and going to concerts

Internships: American Chamber of Commerce of Mexico, Landstar

Favorite Chicago Restaurant: Portillo’s

Favorite Part of the Day: Relaxing after a long day of work

Hometown: Monterrey, Mexico

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Tell us about your personal and professional background.

I grew up in Monterrey, Mexico where I went to an American school from kindergarten all the way through high school.  After graduating, I attended Monterrey Tec for Industrial and Systems Engineering, and spent a year abroad at Michigan State University while concentrating in Supply Chain Management.  After graduating college in 2008, I worked as a Commodities Trader where I concentrated on importing and exporting steel and other raw materials.  Eventually, I focused on logistics which brought me to the Chicago area in 2011, and I just recently switched over to the financial sector where I hope to continue my career.

What prompted you to return to school to achieve your master’s degree?

Although most of my professional experience since graduation has been in business, most of my education was focused on heavily technical and mathematics based material.  Although that strong mathematical background has helped me tremendously in areas of finance and economics, I realized I was still missing something.  I have only ever taken a couple of business classes, so I wanted to be able to complement everything I’ve been able to learn while on the job with the theory behind it, as well as broaden my understanding of the business world as a whole.

What factor(s) did you consider when choosing a master’s program and why did you choose UIC Liautaud for your graduate study?

I was looking for a program that would give me a good return on my investment, that was close to the city, and would provide me  with a quality education that I could be proud of.  I work full time, so I also needed a program that could be flexible with my all around schedule.  UIC Liautaud met all those criteria and became the obvious choice for me once I started the interview process.

We all know that people pursue graduate school to increase their business knowledge, but since you have started the program, what has been the most unexpected gain the program has given you?

I did not expect to meet people from so many different backgrounds and career choices.  While I expected to form friendships while in school, I underestimated how strong some of those relationships would become.

Which class/professor has been your favorite thus far and why?

I really enjoyed my Organizational Behavior class with Professor Goran Kuljanin. He was very good at engaging the class and having us all open up and share our experiences with each other.  I was always used to taking classes in a much different structure and had never taken any class remotely resembling psychology or explaining human behavior.  I honestly learned more than I thought I would have and had fun doing it.

What is your favorite aspect of the UIC campus and why?

My favorite aspect would have to be the central location. There’s nothing better than having that famous view of downtown Chicago right as you’re walking out of class.

What advice would you provide to incoming UIC Liautaud students?

While doing well in class is obviously a huge part of school, don’t lose sight of the fact that getting to know your peers and making connections is equally as important.  You will be meeting people from all different walks of life and there are things you can learn from them that you will never be able to get from reading a book.

Tell us about your internship experience?

The reason I initially came to the Chicago area was to intern at a logistics company.  I was eventually hired as full-time employee and stayed with the company for almost three years.  Needless to say, my internship provided me with a great opportunity to get my foot in the door with an important player in the industry, and I’m glad I took it in the first place.

What is the best part about your UIC Liautaud experience?

I’ve had some great professors and I’m enjoying the classes I’ve been able to take so far.  I’ve also met some great people, especially those that are with me in the weekend program.  We’ve taken every class together in the last year so we’ve gotten to know each other pretty well and have formed into a tight knit group.

Learn what a UIC Liautaud degree has meant for a panel of alumni - and what it could mean for you!

Join us on July 10 for this exclusive event and hear from alumni from three master's programs (MBA, MSA, MIS) as they share their stories of how UIC Liautaud changed their career direction and/or its trajectory. Whether you are looking to change your career by switching industries or you are hoping to accelerate your current career path, hear from those who have had similar experiences.

Current and prospective students are invited to attend this event to see how UIC Liautaud prepared students for a business world marked by continuous change - with academic programs that focus on innovation, entrepreneurship and a multidisciplinary approach.

This special panel event will be held at the unique UIC Innovation Center, a collaboration, education and incubation center embedded in the University of Illinois at Chicago. The Innovation Center initiates programs and participates in activities that bridge research and education with industry.

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Panelists include: 

Andrew Leasure, MSA 2008

Manager, Finance & Administration, The Economic Club of Chicago

Cory Cooper, MBA 2004

Private Banker, Citi

Kiran Kripakaran, MBA 2012

Director of Product Marketing, Branchfire

Mark Sweeney, MBA 2011

Product Manager, James Hardie Building Products

Dianne Gaffney-Garcia, MBA 2011

Global Demand Manager, Customer Support Services, Life Fitness

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EVENT SCHEDULE:

5:30-6:00pm | Pre-event mingle: Explore the UIC Innovation Center (1240 West Harrison) and chat with UIC Liautaud staff members and other guests.

6:00-7:00 | Keynote Panel of UIC Liautaud Alumni: UIC alums will share proven success stories of using their Liautaud degrees to change and accelerate their career paths. This session will be moderated by Assistant Dean Mary Corbitt Clark. Open Q&A with audience to follow.

7:00-8:30pm | Open Reception: Continue the conversation with our UIC alumni panelists, Assistant Dean Mary Corbitt Clark, Liautaud staff, faculty and current students. Light refreshments and cocktails will be served.

REGISTER NOW to reserve your spot for this amazing annual event at http://bit.ly/1pEhNda.

Sai Krishna Kodali

Full-time MS-MIS Candidate 2014

Field of Work:  Information Technology

Undergraduate Degree: Chemical Engineering

Undergraduate School:  Indian Institute of Technology at Kanpur

Career Goal:  Build technology solutions that will make people’s life easier

How did you find your internship?

I used LinkedIn to search and apply for summer internships. I found a job posting for a Software Engineering internship at Facebook that took me to Facebook’s career page, which had many other openings. I found that the Data Engineer Intern position better suited my interests and applied to it.

Did you receive any help from the Business Career Center in finding your internship?

The career center organized, "Resume Making," workshops that were very helpful. They also highlighted the importance to start looking for an internship very early that definitely helped me land this internship.

Did you have multiple internship offers?

I had another offer from Razorfish Inc. for a Software Developer internship position.

What factor(s) did you consider when choosing to accept your internship offer?

The fact that it is FACEBOOK!!!

At UIC, I’m pursuing a line of study that’s heavily oriented towards my area of interest: Data Analytics. The data engineering position needs a unique blend of skills: programming, data modeling, data analytics, and an understanding of business needs. The most challenging part of course is to make techniques and processes that work on normal data work with Facebook scale data.

What are your responsibilities at your internship?

My responsibilities include identifying and building datasets that will help other teams understand customer behavior better. 

What do you like most about your internship?

The thing I like most about this internship is the culture at Facebook. 

The three most important values at Facebook are:

Move Fast
Be Open
Nothing at Facebook is someone else’s problem.

The company’s policies are built in a way that is inline with these values.  The focus is on building projects that make an impact.

What has been the most valuable lesson you’ve learned at your internship, thus far?

I love being surrounded by people from around the world who are extremely motivated, pursuing ideas and ways to improve themselves.  This helped me realize how much more I can do for myself to grow as an individual.

Do you have a mentor at your internship? If you do, what has been the most valuable piece of advice you’ve received?

Yes, I have a mentor. The most valuable advice that I received from my mentor was regarding the way I work. He told me to forget that I was an intern and be bold in my work. If you find something (anything) that is broken, fix it. If you think something here can be improved, improve it. If you don’t know where to start, ask someone. I think it is great advice and will help you not just at work but also in everyday life.

Full-time MBA/MSF Candidate 2015

Concentration: Finance 

Field of Work: Investment Management

Undergraduate Degree In: Economics & Spanish

Undergraduate School: Lafayette College

Career Goal: Buy-side investment finance

Organizations Involved With: Illinois Ventures and UIC Liautaud's Women Network    

Interests/Hobbies: Distance running, reading, and alternative rock

Internships: Illinois Ventures

Favorite Chicago Activities/ Places: 2nd Friday’s @ The Fine Arts Building – Thanks, Georgie!

Favorite Chicago Restaurants: Native Foods Café, Girl & Goat

Favorite Part of the Day: The pre-class jumble in DH at ~5:40pm

Hometown: Fulton, IL

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Tell us about your personal and professional background.

Prior to joining the MBA program at UIC, I worked for three years in Operations for a large corporate pension fund’s investment management team before moving to the Private Equity team of the fund and putting in an additional three years there. All the while, I volunteered at a local animal shelter and helped with sustainability projects for the Illinois Northwest Forestry Association.

What prompted you to return to school to achieve your master’s degree?

An MBA was an essential part of achieving my goals of moving up in my field.  It was also time for me to broaden my skill set to become more viable in the marketplace rather than just outperforming in one part of finance.

We all know that people pursue graduate school to increase their business knowledge, but since you have started the program, what has been the most unexpected gain the program has given you?  

Access to Bloomberg Terminals (CME Lab) is critical for someone planning to go into a finance field. 

Which class/professor has been your favorite thus far and why?  

Tie between Balachandran – Financial Accounting and Rauscher – Microeconomics.  Balachandran has such a deep knowledge of his subject and impressive professional background that he can explain any topic you are struggling with in myriad ways to help you understand it, and he’ll work in real-world applications to boot.  Rauscher adds a lot of personally unique value to his classes.  It is clear from the first class session onward that teaching is both his passion and profession; that he’s engaged with his students and expects the same of them.   

What is your favorite aspect of the UIC campus and why? 

The Au Bon Pain in BSB.  You might laugh, but being a graduate student is very demanding and it’s easy to fall into a trap of eating poorly on the go.  It’s crucial for me to have access to good food while in a time crunch.

What advice would you provide to incoming UIC Liautaud students? 

Get deeply involved and take risks during the first semester of your program regardless of whether you are part-time or full-time.  Your time here is short; use it well.

Tell us about your internship experience?

I haven’t done an internship yet so I’ll write about my GA.  I’m a graduate assistant for Illinois Ventures; a venture capital company that helps UIC invented technologies bridge the gap between academia and becoming their own independent businesses.  I had worked in VC related fields before, but never have I had such an amazing opportunity to help startups get off the ground while also bolstering my school’s reputation and relevance in the community.

Many courses require students to complete a project that applies course concepts to real world situations. If you have had a course project that was very insightful, what course was it for and what did you like about the project? 

This semester in Operations Management (IDS 532) my team is doing a project that analyzes the operational issues surrounding the design layouts of breweries.  The project has ripped me out of my comfort zone of spreadsheets and the intangibility of finance and put me right in the middle of physical application of concepts learned in class.  Further, the project has given me the chance to interact with local entrepreneurs which gets me involved with the city of Chicago community. 

What is the best part about your UIC Liautaud experience? 

Large university experience with a small school feel.  The one on one interaction I received from the UIC administration, Student Services, Admissions, and Student Engagement,  was critical in helping me feel like a part of the UIC community even before I was a student.  I was a little intimidated to be going to a large school in a big city, but that personal interaction helped me to know that although the school is large, the students are individuals in a part of a tight-knit community.

We’re counting down to orientation and there are only 11 days left! We want to make sure that you are prepared and ready for your first UIC Liautaud experience. You have probably gotten several emails by now reminding you to register for orientation. If you have not done so by now, stop what you are doing and REGISTER! If you’re missing your registration link, feel free to contact us at askLGSB@uic.edu, and we’ll get you squared away.

We have some great things planned for orientation and are excited for you all to join us on August 22 & 23. At orientation you will have the opportunity to get to know the Business Career Center staff and what they can do for you to help you reach your goals. By learning what the Business Career Center can do for you, you’ll be that much closer to your end goal and on track from the moment you step on campus. You should have received an email from the Business Career Center with information on the orientation “homework,” which includes updating your resume and LinkedIn profiles. If you haven’t seen this email, please let us know by emailing askLGSB@uic.edu ASAP so we can send it to you.

Last but not least, be sure to fill out the “About Me” assignment for the professional development sessions on Friday, the 22nd. Information about this assignment is included in the email from the Business Career Center.  Friday’s professional development sessions will be educational, entertaining, and worthwhile. You will not regret it and you will gain personally and professionally from the experience. The sessions will be hosted by Michael Popowits and Rick Thomas. Both are members of Second City Chicago. Both Professor Popowits and Thomas teach the professional development courses here at Liautaud called “Improvisation & Leadership,” and they will introduce you to some unconventional methods of how to excel in typical business situations, such as networking and interviews. Since I myself took Professor Popowits class, I can honestly say that it positively changed my view on all kinds of different business interactions and I gained a lot from participating in his class, professionally and personally. So don’t miss out on this unique opportunity! 

 As you might have heard, a case competition is going to take place on Saturday, judged by our own UIC Liautaud alumni! We are very much looking forward to this, since it is a great example of the alumni involvement here at Liautaud and will give you the opportunity to further grow your own personal network by incorporating the amazing Liautaud network. You will be competing in groups in the case competition, providing solutions and strategies to an authentic business predicament, as you will encounter numerous times in your career.

Once again, we are very much looking forward to seeing all of you at orientation and having you on campus! Welcome to UIC Liautaud!

The fall semester is fast approaching! While some of you may have your class schedules set for the fall, others may be searching for that last course to fill their schedule.  Below are some course options that you may find intriguing.  The courses below focus on the areas of information decision sciences and finance.  For students seeking careers in any of these areas or are just looking to diversify their business knowledge, check out some of the options below. 

IDS 520: Enterprise Information Infrastructure Planning & Security (CRN: 14090) Wednesday:  6:00pm – 9:00pm, Instructor: Matthew Liotine

Businesses rely on a complex infrastructure of applications, systems, software, database and networking technologies to provide the services and information required to achieve business objectives.  While this infrastructure is a means to an end, most businesses recognize that a competitive advantage can be gained if a firm can integrate information technology (IT) into an infrastructure that successfully achieves business application requirements.

To this end, this course introduces students with methods and practices involved in the planning, design and security of information infrastructure commonly found in large and medium enterprises. The course blends concepts and techniques found in project planning, system design and development, technology planning, and security technology with those found in enterprise architecture planning, with the goal of providing students with the ability and understanding of how to plan and design a secure information infrastructure for a firm.

IDS 515: Information Systems Strategy and Policy (CRN: 25422) Monday:  6:00pm – 8:30pm, Instructor: Ranganathan Chandrasekaran

IT and digital technologies are commonplace in businesses.  This class will cover how to use technology to maximize business performance.  The course covers many aspects of strategy including formulation, implementation, and inter and multi organization strategies.

IDS 521: Advanced Database Management

 (CRN: 14091) Saturday:  12:15pm – 3:15pm, Instructor: Ali Tafti

 (CRN: 37886) Thursday: 3:30pm – 5:50pm, Instructor: Ali Tafti

Advanced database management deals with developing web-enabled database applications. Topics covered include: data analysis for database design; logical data modeling, transaction modeling; implementation models; physical database design; database tuning and performance evaluation; database decomposition; distributed database; database security.

IDS 575: Statistical Models and Methods for Business Analytics (CRN: 37447) Tuesday: 3:30pm – 5:50pm, Instructor: Stanley Sclove

The course covers theory, techniques, and application of statistical methods for business analytics, particularly methods of regression, multivariate statistical analysis, and time series analysis.  Various software will be used in the course including Excel, Minitab, R, and SPSS.

For students interested in careers as a business analysis, this course will provide you with the necessary skill set to operate within this role.

IDS 552: Supply Chain Management (CRN: 27838) Tuesday:  6:00pm – 8:30pm, Instructor: Unsal Ozdogru

Have you ever wondered how certain goods are put together and end up packaged in the store? Take for example your smart phone.  To create this product many people and materials are involved.  Once the phone is created, it has to get from its manufactured home to the point of consumption to be purchased by you and me.  Supply Chain Management includes the processes that make this happen.

This class explores the critical role of supply chain design, planning, and operations for businesses. The key drivers of supply chain performance include: facilities, inventory, transportation, information, sourcing, and pricing, which are studied on both a conceptual and practical level.

FIN 494: Applied Options and Future Markets (CRN: 34070) Monday:  6:00pm – 8:30pm, Instructor: John Miller

Applied Options and Future Markets cover the use and pricing of futures, options and swaps.  There is a focus on applied computation with concrete applications.   In particular, students will utilize such tools as Bloomberg Professional and the R statistical programming language in the course.  The class is supplemented with tutorials for Bloomberg and R which will be offered prior to class and will also be available online.  The class also meets in the CME Trading Lab (Douglas Hall, room 170) as these tools will be integrated into the class discussion.

Also new to this course will be the text, Derivatives Markets, 3rd ed., by Robert McDonald.  The course will closely follow the first 13 chapters of the text. Derivatives Markets integrates the treatment of forward contracts with options early in the course, with the mathematical and conceptual difficulty increasing as the course progresses, while always being mindful of application to practical risk management and valuation issues.

If you are interested in taking this course, please contact John Miller at jpmill@uic.edu.

FIN 512 Portfolio Analysis (CRN: 11513) Thursday: 6:00pm – 8:30pm, Instructor: Hsiu-Lang Chen

Portfolio Analysis develops the concept of investing from the perspective of a portfolio manager.  Both portfolio theory and investment practice will be the centerpiece of this course.  The course involves detailed quantitative analysis that is essential for a successful career in this area.  FIN 510: Investments is prerequisite requirement before taking this course.

The investment strategies in this class will focus on large portfolios, particularly dealing with risk management issues.  Students will have abundant opportunities to learn investment methodology by hands-on practice with financial data.  Current developments in the financial markets will be reviewed and introduced to help explain the dynamics of the market.

Are you a non-profit looking to create a social venture? Streamline finances and accounting practices? Apply the latest IT technology to help you better meet your mission? Create a marketing campaign for a specific audience?

UIC’s InKind consulting program wants to work with you on projects like this for free!

The UIC Liautaud Graduate School of Business (LGSB) MBA Association and InKind consulting program are seeking applications from Chicago area non-profit organizations that are interested in receiving pro bono consulting services from LGSB students.

Piloted in 2012, InKind teams have consulted with four different organizations on network security solutions, implementing a new social venture, creating a marketing plan, and assessing the feasibility of a fundraising database. Read about the final deliverables in 2012 here.

LGSB students are ready to help your organization in a variety of capacities. Students possess expertise in marketing, organizational development, research, finance, accounting, IT, information systems, and feasibility studies, among other expertise.

The projects will begin in early October 2014 and end with a final presentation to key staff or board members in January 2015 (depending on scopes and schedules).

Non-profit applications are due September 19, 2014 and the application can be found here. If you have any additional questions, please email lgsbmbaa@uic.edu.

If you are a student and wish to participate in InKind, please email lgsbmbaa@uic.edu.

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WHO: Non-profit organizations and UIC Liautaud graduate students from InKind, Liautaud Graduate School of Business’s (LGSB) student-led consulting program

WHAT: UIC Liautaud graduate students providing pro bono consulting services for Chicago-area non-profit organizations

WHERE: Chicago metropolitan area

WHEN: Applications are due September 19. Consulting services will be provided from October 2014 – January 2015. All consulting services will culminate with a final presentation and specific recommendations.

WHY: The UIC MBA Association provides networking, socializing, and service opportunities for students in the Liautaud Graduate School of Business. Through InKind, LGSB students volunteer their time and expertise to strengthen Chicago’s non-profit community.