The College of Management at UW-Stout • Spring 2014
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Inspiring Innovation • Learn more at www.uwstout.edu/com
www.uwstout.edu.com | 1
DEAN’S MESSAGE
FROM THE DEAN: International experiences
strengthen graduates’ ties
Years ago, international or cross-cultural
engagements were viewed as afterthoughts.
At higher institutions of learning, studying
abroad was considered a luxury.
relationships to benefit their companies.
Their successes are
COM’s pride and joy.
As the world becomes more tightly connected like it is today, understanding other
cultures becomes a necessary and integral
part of doing business. Firsthand knowledge
builds interpersonal skills in ways that can’t
be learned in the classroom or the Internet.
Strong relationships with international clients
and customers help businesses thrive. The
hospitality industry, for example, is among
many that depend on owners, executives, and
employees who have had those experiences.
Groundbreaking
research is shared
overseas. Assistant
professor Jeanette
Kersten traveled
to Paris to share
Abel Adekola
research she conducted with graduate
students that showed how to make long-haul
trucks more accommodating and comfortable
for women.
This issue of COM Connection shows how
study abroad trips, co-ops, and completing
even a portion of a course in another country
with a UW-Stout professor can provide
students with invaluable perspectives and
experience.
In the department of military science, Lt. Col.
K. Dave Pindell has taken the helm with new
visions for the renowned ROTC program that
encompasses UW-Stout, UW-River Falls and
UW-Eau Claire.
COM has witnessed an upswing of international students in its programs and their
impact on domestic students well after they
return to their home countries. A unique
opportunity to share our business expertise
will occur this summer, when COM hosts
the 2014 Summer Washington Fellowship
for Young African Leaders, a new flagship
program of President Obama’s Young African
Leaders Initiative (YALI).
Alumni like Ford Motor Company’s Brian Colianni span the globe, relying on international
Another new face to COM is Kelly Poppe-Gale,
lecturer and project manager. In addition to
teaching courses in the School of Hospitality
Leadership, she serves as a liaison between
the College of Management and our alumni.
We welcome Kelly into the COM family. Watch
for her to reach out to you.
I hope you find this edition as riveting as I did
during a sneak preview. Enjoy!
Abel Adekola
Dean, College of Management
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Studying abroad gives lessons
beyond classroom
College’s impact will touch Africa
via institute
Student boosts Internet
outreach to China
International students enrich
education
Professor presents truck cab
research in Paris
Online sustainability program
broadens access
The College of Management at UW-Stout
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Trips to countries expand perspectives
Alumni around the world
ROTC leader’s plans would benefit cadets
Published by UW-Stout’s College of Management
Pam Braun, Writer
Editorial Board, Joy Evenson, David Johnson,
Bernie Mullen and Kelly Poppe-Gale
collegeofmanagement@uwstout.edu
Find this publication and provide
feedback or story ideas online at
www.uwstout.edu/admin/colleges/com/connection.
We welcome your inquires and comments.
UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS
Business Administration
Golf Enterprise Management
Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management
Management
Real Estate Property Management
Retail Merchandising and Management
Supply Chain Management
Sustainable Management
GRADUATE PROGRAMS
Operations and Supply Management
Risk Control
Training and Human Resource Development
Sustainable Management
SPECIALIZATIONS
Golf Enterprise Management
Training and Human Resource Development
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
CERTIFICATES
Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Event and Meeting Management
Gaming Management
Human Resource Management
Quality Management
Supply Chain Management
Sustainable Management Finance
ROTC equips cadets for leadership roles
Technique teaches metal casting to youth
Badenoch endowment support
students’ future
Cabot Executive program nears 30th year
COM welcomes project manager
College of Management
280E Technology Wing – Jarvis Hall
University of Wisconsin-Stout
Menomonie, Wisconsin 54751
Phone: 715-232-1111
Online: www.uwstout.edu/com
GRADUATE
STUDENT
Studying abroad
gives lessons
beyond classroom
Scott Albert
H
otel and tourism student Scott Albert
absorbed lessons of incalculable value
during his 13-month study abroad experience
in Spain and his visits to 23 other countries
on the side. Many of those lessons could not
have been duplicated in any classroom.
An impromptu decision led Albert to study
at the University of Balearic Islands on
Mallorca, the largest island in the Balearic
Islands archipelago, which is part of Spain.
He planned to stay two months but instead,
seeing the value of staying longer, completed
two semesters of college.
His eyes lit up, and his words spilled out
as he told how immersion in the Spanish
culture taught him a new language, new perspectives of the world, how to connect with
people of other cultures, and plenty about
himself.
“I needed to learn who I was, and that was
something I never could have learned in
the classroom. It was that exploration, that
self-discovery, the moment of sitting and just
thinking and letting whatever surrounds you
wash over you. It’s almost like clarity.”
As the world becomes more connected,
gaining an international perspective boosts
graduates’ effectiveness, among the reasons
the College of Management aims to increase
study abroad opportunities for all students.
In a CNN iReport interview, First Lady Michelle Obama voiced her support for more
students to study abroad. Not only do such
experiences make graduates more marketable around the world, U.S. companies need
workers who can speak other languages,
transition into other cultures, and be sensitive to other people, she said. Studying
abroad also builds more compassionate
leaders that the world needs.
In the hotel and tourism field, graduates
who work in large U.S. cities and around
the world interact with international customers. Albert knows that learning his potential
customers’ native language and visiting landmarks in their country will build relationships.
“I can have that connection with clientele.
They will appreciate that, and they will be
more likely to come back to my hotel.”
He also learned how body language can
affect communication – and how important
it is to understand what hand gestures are
appropriate – or inappropriate – in other
cultures. For instance, Albert discovered that
the beckoning signal Americans use can
mean “fight me” in other countries.
His new knowledge is transferred to other
students in his UW-Stout classes. In a
discussion about professionalism, he offered
acceptable ways to say things in another
culture. During a team project about creating
a meal with a theme, he guided his group
on making Mallorcan and western Mediterranean cuisine.
“I knew how to pronounce the names and
what went into it because that’s what I ate
and had to learn how to make.”
Even though he was frugal, he calculated
that the whole experience cost about $1,000
Co-op in Malaysia
teaches marketing
A Cooperative Education program experience in Malaysia immersed business
administration graduate Kang Yann Lee
(known as James) in marketing that
reaches people of various cultures.
At Sunway Pyramid, an internationally renowned shopping mall, he learned firsthand how to understand customers and
their needs, as well as the importance
of keeping up with international trends.
“Working in Malaysia was a very good
way to understand different cultures of
people in the workforce.”
UW-Stout’s Cooperative Education
program partners with employers that
provide practical experience in a career
field. For information visit www.uwstout.
edu/careers/emp_info.cfm.
more than comparable time at UW-Stout. To
him, it was well worth it.
“It’s invaluable for a student to go abroad to
find that sense of discovery, to be comfortable with being independent, to pursue their
own ideas.”
After graduation, Albert intends to travel even
more to study the international side of tourism. “I feel that someday I can change the
world, but I need to see the world to do that.”
Study Abroad Scholarships
Scholarships put global experiences within
reach of all students. For information on
giving to COM’s study abroad scholarship
fund, visit www.tinyurl.com/giveCOM.
www.uwstout.edu/com
3
LEADERSHIP
College’s impact will touch
Africa via institute
President Obama announces the Summer Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders at
a town hall in South Africa.
U
W-Stout’s College of Management will be
in the company of Yale, Dartmouth,
Syracuse and Florida State universities this
summer when it hosts a fellowship for young
African leaders, a prestigious opportunity to
build on its international impact.
The 25 male and female leaders, or fellows,
will spend six weeks from June 15 to July 26
learning about business, entrepreneurship,
and leadership. UW-Stout faculty will lecture
on topics such as supply chain management,
business ethics, microfinance, strategic business planning, emerging markets, technology
and innovation.
Visits to area companies will show how those
components are applied in the U.S.
“Having young African leaders come to the
College of Management at UW-Stout to learn
about the American system of entrepreneurship is indeed a pride to showcase UWStout’s significant educational value,” said
Abel Adekola, College of Management dean.
The university is among 20 nationwide that
the U.S. State Department chose to host
the 2014 Summer Washington Fellowship
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The College of Management at UW-Stout
“Having young African leaders come
to the College of Management at
UW-Stout to learn about the American
system of entrepreneurship is indeed
a pride to showcase UW-Stout’s
significant educational value,”
-Abel Adekola,
College of Management dean
for Young African Leaders, a new flagship
program of President Obama’s Young African
Leaders Initiative (YALI). The program’s goals
are to support young African leaders in spurring growth and prosperity, strengthening
democratic governance, and enhancing peace
and security across Africa.
“It’s an incredible opportunity for great impact,”
said UW-Stout professor Mark Fenton, who
will lead the institute.
The benefits will be reciprocal: The YALI
fellows will learn business practices they
can use to make changes in their countries,
faculty will learn about African business and
social culture, and more African students
could be drawn to UW-Stout through word of
mouth.
“It will be an immeasurable intrinsic reward
to our students and faculty,” Adekola said.
“The benefits will last into the future as we
cultivate potential relationships with many of
these participants’ home countries’ institutions.”
Conversational partners will facilitate the
exchange of information.
“They’ll talk about various aspects from their
culture with their American counterpart, and
then the American counterpart will share
things from our culture regarding those particular topic areas. For instance, one topic is
the role of women in business,” Fenton said.
In addition to receiving leadership training,
the fellows will visit sites like the Kalahari,
Bull Frog Fish Farm, Menomonie Community
Garden and Silver Spring Foods to see business practices in action, and they will learn
about American culture through trips to Mall
of America and Hayward’s Lumberjack Days.
Most of the fellows are ages 25 to 35, and
LEADERSHIP
the institute will add to their previous higher
education. By learning about entrepreneurship and how the U.S. corrects its business problems, Fenton said, fellows will be
prepared to consider: “What is it they can do
to play a leadership role back in their own
country?”
Living in UW-Stout’s Red Cedar Hall will give
them chances to connect with other international students attending summer campus
programs, which could have future benefits.
“When our international students see people
from other countries, it tends to have a positive impact, showing that UW-Stout welcomes
students from other countries,” Fenton said.
When these elite leaders return to Africa,
they could encourage their communities’
youth to attend UW-Stout.
“It’s an incredible opportunity for
great impact,”
-UW-Stout professor Mark Fenton
Funding for UW-Stout’s YALI summer institute
is provided through a $100,000 grant from
IREX through the U.S. State Department,
$100,000 in matching funds from the university, and additional funds from the College of
Management.
As he finalizes the details of this year’s
institute, Fenton has his eye on next summer. “If we hit the ball out of the park this
time, there’s a good chance we’ll be chosen
to host again next year.”
ABOUT YALI
The Young African Leaders Initiative
(YALI) invests in the next generation
of African leaders. Nearly one in three
Africans are ages 10 to 24; about 60
percent of Africa’s population is below
age 35. President Obama launched
YALI in 2010 to support young African
leaders as they spur growth and prosperity, strengthen democratic governance,
and enhance peace and security across
Africa.
Through YALI, the U.S. has invested resources to enhance leadership skills, encourage entrepreneurship, and connect
young African leaders with one another
and with Americans.
YALI participants have gone on to start
youth-driven organizations and networks,
advise their governments, and establish
new businesses.
President Obama hosts a group of YALI participants at the White House.
Ways to Help
Businesses and individuals are invited to help fund YALI
fellows’ travel and overnight expenses for business and
cultural visits.
If interested, please contact Mark Fenton, 715-232-5268 or fentonm@uwstout.edu.
www.uwstout.edu/com
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INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
Student boosts Internet
outreach to China
Yuyao Hu was nervous about coming from
Nannying, China, to UW-Stout after having
Internet access to only one story about the
university – a story that gave her a negative
impression. When she arrived, she found
plenty of positives.
Through an internship, she has helped UWStout’s Office of International Education build
the university’s social media marketing to
brighten that image for other potential Chinese
students, so they look forward to their experience as they fly from China to Wisconsin.
She sees her work as one way she can give
back to the professors, students, and staff
who have taught her as much about human
resource development and training as they
have about Americans and their culture.
“I’m lucky because I came to a school that
has a rich knowledge about my major,” she
said. “I have many things I want to tell my
Chinese friends and future students. I will
recommend to them to come here to have an
experience like me.”
Hu’s personal experience before coming to
UW-Stout, her social media knowledge, and
her English fluency will help the university
reach out to future Chinese students, said Julie Halfen, an Office of International Education
program coordinator who works with her.
“She is helping to establish a social media
foundation that we will be able to use in the
coming years to connect with the Chinese
population,” she said.
Hu and two other Chinese team members
have improved the office’s Weibo account – a
Chinese microblogging website like Facebook
and Twitter – so it is found more easily and
so it is well-maintained and properly verified
so Chinese students recognize the page as
official. They are establishing other social
media accounts that are vital to reach the
Chinese population.
The team’s cultural input led the office to
create a campus how-to guide for Chinese
students, a guide they helped develop and
6
The College of Management at UW-Stout
then translated into Chinese. The three also
updated Chinese translations for two recruitment brochures.
Hu came to UW-Stout in August 2013 to
study human resource development and training through a student exchange program with
Guangxi Normal University in Guilin, Guangxi,
China. UW-Stout faculty traveled there in 2012
to sign an agreement that started the program.
Because human resource development
and training is a new discipline in China,
she came here to learn it and bring that
knowledge back to China. She will return to
Guangxi Normal University after this semester
to continue her studies.
Her internship has allowed her to experience an
overwhelming positive U.S. work environment
that she will carry with her in future jobs in China.
Before she landed the internship, the Office
of International Education was critical in
helping her adjust to an applied learning approach that’s so different from her university’s
lecture and final exam format.
When she struggled to make contacts for
an assignment to interview human resource
personnel, Director Hong Rost not only
scheduled a time for Hu to interview her, she
introduced her to the OIE’s program director
and put her in touch with Career Services.
“They were very helpful,” Hu said.
She has gained much from her UW-Stout
experience.
“I not only learned something from the books,
I also learned many things outside the book –
the practical experience. I made friends with
many managers. I can learn from them, and
they will be my mentor.”
After finishing her degree in China, Hu plans
to work in a human resource office to gain experience and perspective, then earn her master’s degree so she can become a professor,
a dream that was inspired by her UW-Stout
professors. “I want to use my knowledge and
experience to teach Chinese students.”
Yuyao Hu
Office of International Education
UW-Stout’s Office of International Education
supports and coordinates the university’s
international activities, including:
• facilitating student exchange and study
abroad programs
• recruiting and providing support service for
international students
• assisting faculty and staff in international
efforts
Visit www.uwstout.edu/oie/index.cfm.
Faculty Exchange Program
Through the agreement that UW-Stout faculty signed with Guangxi Normal University
in China, arrangements are also being
made for a Guangxi Normal faculty member
to come to UW-Stout.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
International students
enrich education
Noha Andrios, Reem Nasraddin and Abbass
Munis have ambitious goals when they return
to their countries. Andrios plans to start a
human resources training program at her office.
Nasraddin aspires to be the first female in an
upper-level position at her government’s tourism
agency. Munis could one day own a food company.
As they earn degrees that will give them new
skills to take back home, they’re also teaching
U.S. students and instructors about their cultures.
The discussion-style teaching format at UWStout, versus a lecture format in Iraq, has
changed Andrios’ perspectives. An engineer
from Duhok, Iraq, she’s at UW-Stout to earn
a master’s in training and human resources
development. It’s a relatively new area of
study in her country that her government
employer wanted her to learn. When she
returns to her job at city hall after completing
the degree, she will develop such a training
program there.
With 270 international students attending
“It’s going to be hard because it’s very differUW-Stout in 2013-14 – up from 241 the previ- ent, but one of the beautiful things that one
ous year – this knowledge exchange happens
of my instructors said was, ‘It takes time. It
regularly, enhancing the applied learning that
takes time. Anything that you transfer to the
students from 30 countries around the world
workplace takes time,’” she said.
and across the nation come to experience.
After graduation, Nasraddin will move on
Hospitality and tourism student Nasradthis summer to a 6-month internship as a
din, from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, enlightens
concierge at Walt Disney World in Florida.
students on Arabic countries’ social customs “Disney knows how to make all of its customers happy, from different nationalities and
and chips away at misconceptions.
different backgrounds. I want to learn how to
“The way they look at me when I explain some- make every tourist happy.”
thing, like ‘Oh really?’ It makes me feel good
that I’m changing how they think,” she said.
When she returns to Saudi Arabia, she wants
to work for the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities, the government’s tourism
Munis, a food systems and technology
agency. Because Saudi Arabia’s tourism industry
student from Rijal Alma’a, Saudi Arabia, has
caters mostly to religious visitors, she wants to
shed light on Saudi clothing traditions, behavior, the weather and mountains in his city, and develop tourism for non-religious attractions. Her
Muslim prayer requirements. He has disother goal is to establish and teach a hospitalpelled some stereotypes. As his father taught ity and tourism education program for females.
him, “Some things are wrong, but you have to Existing ones are available only to males.
change them to be right.”
Munis will teach at a technical college in
Saudi Arabia when he returns. Eventually he
“International students add to the educational
plans to work in the food industry. “I’m living
experience at UW-Stout for all students,” said
my dream, coming here to the United States.”
Julie Halfen, Office of International Education
program coordinator. “Their presence adds a
Andrios knows her education has prepared
personal component to students’ knowledge
her to take on challenges. “Every class, every
about a country and makes them question
professor doesn’t just give you the knowledge,
what they think they know. Graduates are going
but also how to put it into work, and that’s
to be more successful in their careers if they
amazing; that’s what you need.”
have skills to work successfully with students
from different backgrounds and cultures.”
The perspectives these students have shared
will stay with those who have learned alongMunis sees another benefit: “Living in a different culture makes you more patient. We
side them. Says Halfen: “Having international
are learning new things every day. We are
students on campus helps bring the world’s
learning from other people.”
cultures and ideas to UW-Stout.”
Reem Nasraddin
Noha Andrios
Abbass Munis
www.uwstout.edu/com
7
RESEARCH
Professor presents
truck cab research
in Paris
Palakeel, who is completing her master’s in
training and development online from Australia, found the project gave her a chance to
practice critical thinking and analysis.
“This research was a great learning experience to understand an organization and
provide suggestions on improving the already
existing facilities for better performance and
work satisfaction.”
Reaching this point is energizing and gratifying for students and faculty, providing opportunities for students and faculty to take collaborative research to the next level, Kersten
said. It also opens doors to other opportunities for graduate projects with organizations.
Through her previous roles with 3M and as
a UW-Stout professor, Kersten has attended
other international conferences in Canada
and Brazil.
Truck cab design research completed by assistant professor Jeanette Kersten and graduate students gained international attention
when Kersten presented the results at the
Women’s Issues in Transportation Conference,
in Paris, France, in April 2014.
The study was a partnership with Ellen Voie,
CEO of the Women in Trucking Association,
Kersten, and three students in her organization development graduate course in
2012–Matt Maurer, Jane Palakeel and William
Chacon.
The findings supported earlier research showing that because the average female driver is
shorter and lighter than male drivers, women
face difficulties operating trucks designed
and built for men. Recommendations for
adjustability of mirrors and seats, foot pedal
placement and access, visibility of gauges,
and step and hand rail placement were
discussed.
Ryder System, Inc., a leading commercial
transportation company, is using the research
to move ahead on changes in its truck designs and is encouraging vehicle manufacturers to do the same.
Not only does presenting research strengthen
the College of Management’s connection to
industry, it also benefits UW-Stout, faculty
and students.
“This promotes UW-Stout’s unique strength of
8
The College of Management at UW-Stout
being an applied research university – and
partnerships with industry – to a much broader audience beyond our immediate area,”
said Kersten, Ed.D., who regularly supervises
graduate student research projects.
The graduates will have an impressive accomplishment to add to their resume.
“When the paper is published in the conference proceedings, they will have a published
article. After I return from the conference, I
will submit it to a variety of peer-reviewed
journals, and they’ll be authors again.”
They are thrilled with the potential impact.
“Participation in this research was meaningful
because it’s an issue that faces truck drivers
and truck manufacturers today,” said Maurer,
supply chain analyst for 3M Consumer Business Group. We created a report that earned
us college credit, but more importantly, is
being used by Women in Trucking and Ryder
to make improvements on truck design.”
Teamwork, data analysis, and brainstorming
skills used during the process carry over to
his job at 3M.
Chacon echoed Maurer. “Being part of this
project was an amazing experience, and
seeing Ryder implement it makes me feel so
proud and excited. This is something that I
will never forget.” Chacon is a procurement
and supply chain manager for American
Airlines.
“I have always found things to bring back or
a different way of doing something in the
classroom or in industry. I think it’s good to
have international exposure because outside
of the U.S., the education and business processes can be somewhat different.”
Presenting at a conference can take years of
preparation and peer reviews before approval
is granted.
“Presenting research internationally is a way
for us to be living the mission of UW-Stout,”
Kersten said.
CONFERENCE
FUNDING
Gifts to the College of Management’s professional development fund help cover expenses of faculty participation in national
and international conferences. Instructors
glean cutting-edge methods they bring
back to the classroom.
http:/tinyurl.com/COMConnection
DISTANCE LEARNING
Online sustainability program
broadens access
“Their ability to combine the theory of
sustainability with hands-on, real-world
applied experience, then convey that to
us, was one of the most valuable
components of the program.”
From his computer in Shanghai, China, athome dad Nathan Hill was able to earn an
online sustainability management degree
from UW-Stout because the program fit his
schedule, his language preference, and his
budget.
He was impressed with the quality, which he
expected from the world-class UW System,
the professors, and the program’s corporate
partners.
-Nathan Hill
Mellon, he noticed several benefits of online
learning.
“The online option was absolutely invaluable
to me,” Hill said. “Due to my wife’s career
path as an expatriate employee in a multinational corporation, we have determined that
it is better if we reverse the traditional family
roles. Therefore, I am privileged to be a stayat-home father and have been the primary
caregiver to my son since he was 5 months
old. He is now 9 years old.
“However, tending to his needs in China far
away from supportive family and leery of leaving him in the hands of strangers reduces my
time available to pursue education or career.”
Hill grew up on a small farm in York, Pennsylvania. He first came to China in 1987 as a
Mandarin Chinese student through a Wellesley College-sponsored program. He has lived
and worked in Asia for 23 years.
UW-Stout’s online degree program allowed
him to focus on his studies when his son
was in school or as his schedule permitted.
It also gave him access to a sustainability
program taught in English. Such a program
isn’t offered near Shanghai.
From nearly 7,000 miles away, UW-Stout
professors reached out to him as if he were a
student in their classroom.
“By building quality relationships with professors, the learning experience was greatly
enhanced. The professors were very understanding of my individual needs and those
of my classmates. They were always quick
to offer suggestions to enhance our learning
experience, critiques to keep us on path, and
even offer supplemental learning paths that
Guided computerized programs for technical classes like accounting, chemistry and
finance provided step-by-step instruction that
would not allow him to progress until he had
mastered previous material. He could replay
recorded video and audio lectures to better
understand difficult points.
Nathan Hill and his family
coincided with our individual pursuits.”
Hill valued their enthusiasm and vast knowledge on sustainability issues.
“Their ability to combine the theory of sustainability with hands-on, real-world applied experience, then convey that to us, was one of the
most valuable components of the program.”
The bachelor’s program – a partnership of
UW-Stout, UW-River Falls, UW-Parkside and
UW-Superior – was designed with input from
corporate leaders in sustainability across the
United States.
“Sustainability management is in its infancy
as a subject area. I was satisfied that the numerous corporate supporters aligned with the
UW program would ensure the development
of a meaningful and actionable curriculum.”
Hill sees the program as a great value. “In
comparison with the cost of traditional oncampus education, the tuition for the sustainability management online program is a very
affordable.”
Still residing in Shanghai since he completed
his degree in December 2013, Hill is waiting
for the opportunity to put his new degree to
the test.
“Raising my son takes precedence over working. However, I am confident that should I
choose to pursue employment or a startup
option, the education and tools I gained
through the program would enable success.”
ONLINE
PROGRAMS
For more information on UW-Stout’s
online programs, visit
www.uwstout.edu/de/index.cfm.
Having previously enrolled in traditional
education environments to earn a bachelor’s
degree from Penn State and a master’s
in business administration from Carnegie
www.uwstout.edu/com
9
FACULTY-LED TRIPS
Trips to countries
expand perspectives
When hospitality students experience the culture of countries where wines are made and
see how they’re produced, they understand a
wine’s components so they can successfully
pair a fine wine with a tenderloin steak to
please customers’ taste buds.
When operations and management students
tour factories overseas, they can analyze
manufacturing techniques of other countries,
identify trends and practices of business
operations, and compare quality and safety
practices firsthand.
When international business students visit
European companies, their understanding of
the European Union, the world’s largest trading block, reaches a higher level.
To give students broader global perspectives,
College of Management instructors often
take them to other countries to master the
objectives of a particular college course. Destinations of trips within the past year have
included Spain, the Netherlands, Hong Kong
and China.
An annual May trip gives operations and management students a sense of manufacturing
in Hong Kong and China. Tours have included
Lee Kum Kee, Chinese condiment manufacturer; a Honda plant; a Wal-Mart Distribution
Center; Wisconsin-based Kohler Company
and CMech, which produces window and door
hardware. Time is also spent at the Guangdong University of Foreign Studies.
Students learn about China’s business operations, leadership, technology, manufacturing
techniques and management. Cultural visits
include Hong Kong and the Great Wall and
Forbidden City in Beijing.
“Going to China enabled me to experience different aspects of their culture that I will use
throughout my business career. As a supply
chain management major, I will most likely
work with manufacturing companies in China,”
Marcus Franzone said.
UW-Stout professors Jim Keyes, Ph.D., David
Ding, Ph.D., and Qing Li Lee, Ph.D., from
Guangdong University of Foreign Studies will
10
The College of Management at UW-Stout
Students visit the Wal-Mart distribution
center in China.
present the trip in November at the 2014
ASQ National Quality Education Conference.
The conference spotlights best practices of
innovation in education.
International business students also studied
for 19 days at Fontys University in Venlo, the
Netherlands, in January 2014 during a course
taught by UW-Stout associate professor
Mark Fenton, Ph.D. They toured companies
in Amsterdam, Arnhem and Maastricht in the
Netherlands and Cologne and Dusseldorf in
Germany.
“As the world’s largest trading block, the European Union is an excellent location for teaching international business,” Fenton explained.
“A significant component of international
business is understanding cultural differences among countries. By studying abroad,
students can experience the cross-cultural
differences in person. Traveling abroad, going
on site visits, and interacting the host country
cultures is something they do not get in the
classroom.”
In January 2014, 15 students traveled with
Peter D’Souza, associate professor of food
and beverage management, to Madrid and
Mallorca for 19 days for a wine and food
pairing in Spain course. The course teaches
students to match wine and food from different parts of the world using flavors, textures,
and components present in food and wine as
complementing strategies.
Students visited vineyards and wineries and
completed wine and food-tasting sessions.
They also worked in groups to prepare a
formal five-course meal matching Spanish
wines with food, giving them experience in
menu planning, food preparation and cooking methods.
It was a prime opportunity for immersion in
Spanish culture. They toured cultural sites,
met Spanish students, tasted Spanish wine
and food, and shopped at Spanish markets.
As world becomes even more connected,
experiencing different cultures and business
techniques becomes increasingly important.
Providing opportunities to learn about the
world gives students tools for success.
Trip Scholarships
The cost of these 12- to 19-day trips
ranged from $4,800 to $5,600 including
tuition credits, course materials, airfare,
travel to and from sites, meals and lodging. More scholarship funds would ensure
these trips are affordable for all students.
To help visit: http:/tinyurl.com/COMConnection
ALUMNI
Job with Ford takes
alumnus OVERSEAS
Planning global business strategies for Ford Motor
Company relies on knowing about people, not about
vehicles. In 35 years with the company that have taken
him to 22 countries, Brian Colianni has found that
people are more similar than different, and business
unites us all.
“Regardless of culture or geographic origins, people
pretty much value and respond to the same basic human traits, anywhere in the world. Basic human interaction elements apply everywhere I have traveled and
done business,” said Colianni, a UW-Stout industrial
and vocational education graduate.
Brian Colianni
Director of global business
strategy, Ford
As Ford’s director of global business strategy, his
primary task is to move Ford from a business that operates separately in many countries to one that operates
as one across the world. He’s based at Ford’s world headquarters in Dearborn, Mich., but spends much of
his time on planes traveling to each of Ford’s regional
headquarters on five continents.
He has worked for Ford since a week after his 1979 graduation from UW-Stout. International classmates showed him that regardless of their careers, everyone works and
lives in a global environment. “Learning about cultures, embracing cultures different than
our own, is one of the most important things we can do to prepare for the rest of our lives.”
“UW-Stout taught me that learning is a lifelong journey. Life will take you down paths
you never envisioned. Be watching, prepared and ready to embrace those unexpected
opportunities. Be ready to learn with every encounter.”
Over the years Colianni has had plenty of opportunities to learn while filling 21 different Ford positions, relocating domestically and internationally nine times.
Strong relationships require respecting others, seeking to understand rather than
seeking to talk, and embarking on a sincere quest to learn from people from other
countries. “Making an effort to understand different languages and cultures means
you care. Caring about where people come from – socially, culturally and geographically
– goes a long way.”
His international experiences began in 2004 when he ran Ford’s Mazda North American marketing, sales and service operations. While based in Orange County, Calif., he
worked with a globally run Japanese firm, traveling frequently to Hiroshima, Japan.
After three years with Mazda, he ran Ford’s Asia Pacific and South Africa customer
service division from Bangkok, Thailand. The job covered China, Taiwan, Vietnam,
Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Japan, Malaysia, India, Australia, New Zealand, and
South Africa. In 2009 he relocated to Ford’s new Asia Pacific headquarters in Shanghai,
China, until 2012.
Working and traveling internationally have enriched his life.
“My world is so much bigger because of the opportunities to work with people different
than me.”
Alumni
Around the World
Lars Brambani, Norway
1989, BS, hotel and
restaurant management
Brambani is deputy director of the Norwegian
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and oversees the
Government Guest House and Prime Minister’s Residence in Oslo, Norway.
With 14 guest rooms, a presidential suite, dining halls, and
reception rooms, the Guest House provides accommodations
for presidents, prime ministers, and foreign ministers visiting
Norway. The Prime Minister’s Residence houses the prime
minister’s family and offices and hosts government lunches
and dinners.
Brambani chose UW-Stout based on the Norwegian Hotel Association’s recommendation and its reputation as a leader in
hotel and restaurant management. Industry-connected instructors and teamwork on projects directly related to hospitality
prepared him for the global hotel industry.
Pheroza Surti Daruwalla, Australia
1990, MS, hospitality and tourism
Daruwalla is a senior lecturer in the School
of Business at the University of Western
Sydney in Australia.
Internationally renowned professors Jafar
Jafari and Phillip D’Souza plus the hospitality and tourism
program’s quality reputation led her to UW-Stout.
“UW-Stout taught me the values of diversity while still retaining
a strong sense of identity; introduced me to solid, rigorous
education and academic practices applicable anywhere in
the world; and instilled a strong sense of work ethic and
integrity coupled with compassion.”
Mohamad Rizal, Indonesia
2003, MS, hospitality and tourism
2002, BS, hotel, restaurant, and tourism management
Rizal is property and asset management manager of Jones Lang LaSalle in
Indonesia. The hospitality and tourism program’s high standing
drew him to UW-Stout.
“Classes emphasize not only the technicalities of a certain
discipline, but also how one would view and interact in a
multicultural environment. The International Relations Club, a
student organization, was beneficial to preparing for a global
business world by introducing us to different cultures.”
“By understanding different cultures, I’m able to better
understand how people behave the way they do within an
organization. It has helped me foster effective communication
and lead my team.”
www.uwstout.edu/com
11
MILITARY SCIENCE
ROTC leader’s plans would
benefit cadets
Great leaders bring great vision, and UWStout’s new chairman of the Department of
Military Science, Lt. Col. K. Dave Pindell Jr.,
aims to build on the recognized strength of
the university’s ROTC program to further develop leaders who serve all over the world.
groundwork for moving ahead on new facilities after he leaves UW-Stout.
“My vision for new facilities includes a dedicated classroom, bigger supply room so we
do not have to store equipment and uniforms
at UW-Stevens Point, offices that are better
He brings 17 years of Army experience to this suited to interviewing prospective cadets
assignment as the new Northwoods Battalion and their families, a lounge area for out-ofCommander and professor of military science classroom work that’s required, and, most
at UW-Stout. His Army career began with
importantly, a lab.”
his ROTC commissioning in 1996 and most
recently required his service and expertise at To Pindell, a lab with these features would be
the Pentagon.
a key addition:
The Northwoods Battalion comprises ROTC
departments at UW-Stout, UW-River Falls and
UW-Eau Claire.
Quality students are the program’s bigger
strength, Pindell said, a credit to the leadership of his predecessors, Scott Bolstad and
Brian Stout. “Our senior class has raised the
bar for all follow-up classes with their exceptional performance,” Pindell said.
• mock-up “sand” tables with terrain models
and smart TVS to practice planning and
briefing skills
• an engagement skills trainer, similar to a
video-game setup, for marksmanship skill
practice and small-unit maneuvering via
use of Army training vignettes
• a rappelling tower mock-up site inside and
a rappelling site outside to aid in training
for rappelling operations
Solid support from the College of Manage• a leaders reaction course for team-buildment also contributes to the program’s
ing and problem-solving
strength. An example is the allocation of funding for cadets’ staff ride at the Tippecanoe
“Our intent would be to share our classroom
battle site in Indiana, the first time UW-Stout
and lab space with any program on campus
cadets have conducted the ride at an actual
so the new facilities potentially benefit the
battle site.
university as a whole.”
During a staff ride, cadets conduct a 3D
Pindell also is implementing an initiative that
analysis of a historical battle. In the past, this gives cadets more program ownership. “My
requirement was met through alternatives
such as virtual staff rides and museum visits.
“Nothing replaces an actual visit to a battle
site though, and this does not happen without
the support we receive from the university.”
cadre and I are here for two to three years,
a small window to influence the program.
Cadets and university leaders have longterm ties to the program and are in a better
position to ensure its enduring viability.”
Cadets will take over all planning, resourcing, and execution of ROTC training, as well
as mentoring and counseling of underclassmen. “We want cadets pushing instead of
cadre pulling.”
GLOBAL IMPACT
ROTC graduates’ impact spans the
globe, wherever the Army has a mission. Graduates initially serve as platoon leaders. As platoon leaders, they
are often in charge of 30 to 45 soldiers
and responsible for all platoon results.
Their leadership impact extends well
beyond their soldiers. Results can
bring increased security, job opportunities, and quality of life for the local
populace. In non-combat countries,
the platoon leader focuses on platoon
training and limited host-nation support
via joint operations.
Military Career Highlights
Pindell is pursuing further ROTC improvements that tie into COM’s goals.
“We are in the beginning stages of working
with UW-Stout and COM on new facilities. My
hope is that these new facilities will reside
in a new COM stand-alone building and will
provide us the space we need to improve the
learning experience of our cadets.”
Pindell wants the discussions to lay the
12
The College of Management at UW-Stout
Lt. Col. K. Dave Pindell Jr. has served in Virginia,
Texas, Georgia, Alabama, Florida and Washington,
D.C., as well as Korea, Germany, Kosovo and Iraq.
He holds a bachelor’s degree and three master’s
degrees. He has earned more than 20 military
awards and decorations.
MILITARY SCIENCE
ROTC equips cadets for
leadership roles
Gary Evenson, Sr. presents the American Legion Scholastic Excellence
Award to Cadet Alexander Thornton, left, and the American Legion Military
Excellence Award to Cadet Dietrich Henckel.
ROTC cadets honored at the Northwoods
ROTC Battalion’s Eighth Annual Military Ball
credit the program with helping them develop
leadership skills, patience, inner strength,
self-confidence and new perspectives.
“As a leader you become more confident and
self-aware of how your actions can influence
others around you by how you motivate them
to succeed in ROTC activities,” said Cadet
Adam Widder, UW-Stout criminal justice
student who received the American Veterans
Award.
“It’s a stepping stone to becoming a leader in
the United States Army, helps develop you
into the leader you need to be, and helps you
find your inner strength,” added Cadet Sean
Bottin.
“ROTC is a great way to serve your
country while going to college and helps
develop you as a leader for your future.”
Chief Warrant Officer Stephen Marris presents the American Veteran’s Award to, left to
right, Cadets Adam Widder, Sean Bottin and
Shane Smith.
to educate cadets and help them develop
critical skills.
“They are very motivating and share direct
and personal experiences that they have
had as officers. They present instruction and
-Cadet Shane Smith, ROTC
material in a way to learn that is applicable to
real-world scenarios and what we can expect
Shane Smith develop as a leader. “Immersion to see as officers,” Widder said.
is the best way to learn because it puts you
in the hot seat and you get better experiSmith, a chemistry student and another
ences.”
American Veterans Award recipient, appreci-
The ball, held March 1, 2014, in UW-Stout’s
Great Hall, honored this year’s graduates
from UW-Stout, UW-Eau Claire, and UW-River
Falls and recognized award recipients for their
accomplishments.
Patience and new perspectives topped Bottin’s list of skills learned.
Such leadership traits lie within us, says
“ROTC gives me a more different and diverse
Cadet Alexander Thornton, a UW-Eau Claire
background into situations and gives me
criminal justice student who received the
more
than just a one-way look at them,” the
American Legion Military Excellence Award.
UW-River
Falls American Veterans award
“ROTC really puts you in a position to bring
recipient
said.
out leadership qualities you already possess,
helps you further develop those qualities, and
Reflecting on their education, cadets pointed
teaches you the concepts of leadership.”
out
the cadre’s use of first-hand experience
Immersion helped UW-Eau Claire Cadet
ated the diversity of ROTC. “When you are
put in a different environment with different
people, you have to understand them on a
more personal basis so you can properly lead
them.”
As Smith sums up the overall value of ROTC:
“ROTC is a great way to serve your country
while going to college and helps develop you
as a leader for your future.”
www.uwstout.edu/com
13
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
Technique teaches
metal casting to youth
UW-Stout risk control instructor Brian Finder
has developed a mobile foundry that allows
middle and high school youth to safely learn
basic metal casting techniques at their
schools. The endeavor’s primary goals are to
foster youth career interest in metal casting
engineering and help them develop a sound
respect for the significant risks in the metal
casting industry.
“While the United States has a thriving metal
casting industry with at least 2,000 foundries
that employ 200,000 workers, a limited number of high schools and technical colleges
are prepared to teach basic metal casting
concepts in their curriculum,” Finder said.
Based on design concepts that he learned
from retired UW-Stout faculty member David
Brenholt, Finder built tools and equipment for
young people to construct green sand molds
and polystyrene patterns and then safely pour
molten metal into their mold from behind a
polycarbonate shield. Finder also constructed
a metal melting furnace that is powered by
waste vegetable oil-based fuel.
Last summer at the Northern Wisconsin
State Fair, he and a team of eight associates
set up the equipment and helped about 125
youth as young as 5 years old construct foam
patterns and then safely pour the molten
aluminum.
Providing such an experience is an extension
of the metal casting demonstrations that he
performs during UW-Stout’s annual summer
STEPS program. The program is revered
nationwide for its ability to introduce middle
school girls to STEM (science, technology,
engineering and mathematics) careers.
“This personal initiative helps me to understand and consequently relate to others the
technological processes as well as the risks
of a certain industry,” Finder said. “My role
at UW-Stout is to teach the need for organizations to identify and implement plans to
manage the risks that they have. This initiative strongly aligns with what I teach because
metal casting is generally regarded as a
high-risk activity.”
14
The College of Management at UW-Stout
Instructor Brian Finder teaches metal casting techniques to youth at the Northern
Wisconsin State Fair.
The American Foundry Society has endorsed
Finder’s teaching approach and recently featured it in its Modern Casting magazine.
Though Finder teaches within the College
of Management, his passion for teaching
foundry techniques also spreads throughout
UW-Stout to STEM-based studies and/or
disciplines, which are based in the College
of Science, Technology, Engineering, and
Mathematics.
Working with younger students also benefits
him as a college instructor.
“The ability to relate to a broad the range of individuals is a skill that’s necessary in numerous professions. Being able to understand
very quickly where someone sits in their skill
and/or knowledge level is a competency that
teachers need to possess.”
Industry support helps make such initiatives a reality. In particular, Ermac Foundry in
Chaska, Minn., has been gracious enough to
donate green sand and aluminum.
Future steps include securing a sturdy
covered trailer to transport the metal casting
equipment and partnering with secondary
school technology education and art departments to develop suitable foundry-based
projects that can be cast on-site with the as-
Ways to Support
the Project
• Donate a sturdy covered trailer to
transport metal casting equipment
• Donate aluminum-based scrap metal
• Make a financial gift to COM’s outreach
programs
http:/tinyurl.com/COMConnection
Contact:
Brian Finder
Phone: 715/232-1422
Email: finderb@uwstout.edu
COMMUNITY SUPPORT
Cabot Executive
program nears
Support the future of
COM STUDENTS
You can provide College of Management
students with experiences that rely on financial support outside of traditional funding
sources.
Gifts to the new Dean’s Study Abroad Scholarship Fund will ensure all students have the
chance to develop critical cultural connections. Contributions to the college’s Alumni
Annual Fund provide nearly $25,000 for
areas of greatest need within the college.
Annual, endowed and merit-based scholarships make a COM education accessible to
more students regardless of income. More
than 1,500 UW-Stout students a year apply
for a scholarship through the Stout University Foundation. Of those, about one-fourth
receive one. Establishing a scholarship
can honor a special person in someone’s
life while helping a student become one of
tomorrow’s leaders.
One recent
success is
the Stowe N.
Badenoch Memorial Scholarship, which has
reached endowment level since
its establishment last year
thanks to support from alumni,
businesses, and
Tony Badenoch
the family of the
late UW-Stout
professor Stowe Neal “Tony” Badenoch. Endowed scholarships are awarded in perpetuity, continuing the legacy of the person after
whom they are named.
Badenoch was an adjunct instructor at UWStout in the early 1980s and later was a professor in the fashion merchandising program
(now retail merchandising and management)
from 1988 until retiring in 2003.
Former UW-Stout professor Nancy Murray, a
student and later colleague of Badenoch’s,
felt a named scholarship would be an ideal
tribute to a
professor who
encouraged
students to
meet high
standards
while remaining true to
themselves.
She worked
with the Stout
University
Foundation to
establish the
scholarship.
30th year
Nancy Murray
The scholarship reached the endowment
minimum of $30,000 thanks to donations
from UW-Stout alumni whom Badenoch
inspired, his family, and retailers Macy’s,
JCPenney, Kohl’s, ShopKo, Christopher &
Banks, VonMaur and Bon-Ton. The scholarship is awarded annually to retail merchandising and management students; two were
given for the 2013-14 year.
Retail merchandising and management
students have been inspired to establish
another new scholarship in honor of Murray,
who taught at UW-Stout through 2013. The
Nancy Murray Honor Scholarship recognizes her commitment to UW-Stout’s retail
merchandising and management program,
students and industry.
Your gift can be directed to any area of
the College of Management and is taxdeductible. Contact the Stout University
Foundation to learn how to make a gift that
supports your passions.
To Make a
GIFT
Contact the Stout University
Foundation at:
715/232-1151
Toll free: 866/716-6685
suf@uwstout.edu
http:/tinyurl.com/COMConnection
Arthur R. Cabot
Corporate leaders and College of Management faculty and students will be invited to
participate in the 30th anniversary of the
Cabot Executive in Residence program on
October 28 and 29, 2014.
The Arthur R. Cabot Executive Residency Program is named in honor of Arthur R. Cabot,
a successful pet products manufacturer.
Cabot’s son, Scott, is a 1978 graduate of
UW-Stout. Scott and his wife, Janet, live in
Cross Plains, Wis.
This generous program enables UW-Stout
to invite major corporate leaders to spend
one or several days on campus for involvement in faculty development, interaction with
students, and attendance at seminars and
presentations.
Cabot Executives are leaders of organizations with high ethical standards and an
excellent track record as a successful business. They provide inspiration to College of
Management students.
The 2014 event will engage students and
faculty with executives in multiple settings.
It also will include the unveiling and dedication of a wall in the College of Management
honoring Arthur Cabot and all executives
who have donated their time. The dedication
event is open to all interested industry representatives, faculty, students, and alumni.
www.uwstout.edu/com
15
NON-PROFIT
ORGANIZATION
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
PERMIT NO. 3
MENOMONIE, WI 54751
COLLEGE OF MANAGEMENT
280E Technology Wing-Jarvis Hall
University of Wisconsin-Stout
Menomonie, WI 54751
COM welcomes project manager
Kelly Poppe-Gale
Kelly
Poppe-Gale
COM project manager
entrepreneurship.
and lecturer
Kelly Poppe-Gale
joined the College of Management as project
manager and
lecturer, bringing
more than
20 combined
years of experience in collegelevel teaching,
sales, management, and
As project manager, Poppe-Gale coordinates
COM Connection, works with the Dean’s Executive Advisory Committee and the Cabot
Executive in Residence program, and serves
as liaison to other university departments
and organizations.
While growing up in Chippewa Falls, she
was raised in family businesses. Her family
continues to own and operate financial services, manufacturing, and specialty education product businesses around the country.
She holds a bachelor of arts in economics
and a master of business administration
from Winona State University. She attended
classes, worked full time, coached athletics, and was a single mother throughout her
college years.
She has held sales, managerial and executive positions at Pella Windows in Los
Angeles, Cintas, The Uniform People, and
Travelynx, an international central reservation
service. Poppe-Gale also was a real estate
agent in Missouri and Arizona and an owner/
broker in Missouri. She completed development projects and listed and sold homes. She
was co-owner of a log home building company.
Throughout her career she has remained
involved in teaching, serving as a graduate
assistant and adjunct instructor at Western
Technical College and Corinthian Colleges
International (Now Everest), and eventually
moving into a full time teaching position at
Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa,
Iowa. There she assisted with a new regional economic advancement initiative and
led efforts in entrepreneurial engagement
and education. During her time at Indian
Hills, Poppe-Gale earned the certified business incubator manager designation and
completed all coursework for her Ph.D. and
is now ABD. She moved back to Wisconsin
in summer 2013 and was a management
instructor at Chippewa Valley Technical College in fall 2013. She operates a microenterprise and does business consulting.