Kelley School’s Business Horizons journal ranks 20th worldwide in terms of research impact

Posted on August 12, 2022 by George Vlahakis

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Business Horizons, an academic journal published by Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business, continues to grow in influence, as evidenced by a recent huge leap in the Impact Factor ratings and rankings, which measure how often academic journal articles are cited by scholars and researchers.

The Journal Impact Factor ratings, part of the Journal Citation Reports published by the global analytics company Clarivate, are one of the most widely used measures of a publication’s impact. They provide quantitative data that readers, editors, and publishers can use to discern the effect that a journal has, compared to similar publications.

The new Impact Factor rating for Business Horizons was 10.562 in 2021, which means it now ranks 20^th out of more than 150 business journals. Just a year earlier, the journal received a 6.361 rating and a ranking of 43rd. Five years ago, its rating was 2.588.

The bimonthly Business Horizons is published by the Kelley School in partnership with Elsevier. It began publication as a quarterly in 1956. It is edited by Greg Fisher, the Larry and Barbara Sharpf Professor and an associate professor of entrepreneurship, with support from Managing Editor Lisa Miller and editorial specialists Sarah Goddard-Martin and Phillip Scuderi.

Greg Fisher

“This jump in impact is a validation of our thesis that there is demand for a peer-reviewed business publication with a strong practical orientation,” Fisher said. “The academic journals in the field of business have become very academic and theoretical, and in so doing, they often overlook the practical aspects of business. Business Horizons does the opposite. We lead with practical insights and perspectives, but we require that these practical insights are generated from a scholarly foundation. This allows us to publish articles that bridge academia and business.”

The Impact Factor ratings are calculated by dividing the number of scholarly items counted in the denominator by all the citations that a journal has accumulated in the numerator. In 2021, Business Horizons articles were cited 8,458 times, up by more than a thousand from 2020, when articles were cited 7,443 times.

“Impact Factors don’t just increase on their own. This is the result of concerted effort on the part of many of the journal’s stakeholders,” said Fisher, adding that the improvement in impact was initiated by previous editors-in-chief, whose necessary changes and advancements included adding blind peer review and establishing a team of associate editors.

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Life Sciences conference series opens with discussion of curative technologies and Indiana’s role in advancing them

Posted on August 5, 2022 by George Vlahakis

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Curative technologies and Indiana’s status as an important player in their development and implementation will be discussed at the opening event in the 2022-23 Indiana Life Sciences Collaboration Conference Series, presented by the Indiana University Kelley School of Business.

Hosted by the Kelley School’s Center for the Business of Life Sciences, the Nov. 18 conference in Indianapolis will examine recent advancements, such as the development of mRNA vaccines, radiopharmaceuticals and gene therapies, and Indiana’s role in that innovation.

For example, Indiana is the only state to provide all the major Covid-19 vaccines and Indianapolis is becoming a hub for radiopharmaceutical research, which involves drugs containing radioactive isotopes that can be used to diagnose or treat disease.

George Telthorst

“The work being done in this area in Indiana is exciting and continues our state’s legacy of making lives better for many while also helping to drive its economy,” said George Telthorst, director of the Center for the Business of Life Sciences. “We look forward to this and our other conferences, which facilitate helpful exchanges among key players in the industry, academia, government and economic development professionals leading to more meaningful results in the future.”

Dan Peterson, vice president for industry and government affairs at Cook Group, one of the conference sponsors, added, “These conferences bring together a broad base of collaborative partners around timely, important topics that are relevant to the growth of the life sciences in Indiana and beyond.”

This kickoff event, with the theme, “Curative Technologies & Indiana’s Role in Advancing Them,” will take place from 9 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. at the Indiana Biosciences Research Institute, located in the 16 Tech Innovation District, at 1210 Waterway Blvd., in Indianapolis. Other upcoming events in the series will focus on the “Uniqueness of Healthcare and Life Sciences Marketing on Feb. 23 and “Digital Health – The “Buzz” and the Reality” on April 28.

The registration fee is $450 for the series or $175 for individual conference and lunch is included. Registration can be done online or by contacting Kelli Conder at the Kelley School at 812-856-0915 or kconder@indiana.edu.

Students currently enrolled at Indiana higher institutions for learning may attend for free thanks to conference sponsors and must register by contacting Conder directly. (more…)

Kelley alumnus Anton Vincent participating in 2022 CNBC Evolve Global Summit

Posted on July 11, 2022 by George Vlahakis

Anton Vincent

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Many Indiana University Kelley School of Business alumni tuning into CNBC’s Evolve Global Summit on July 13 will recognize a familiar face, Anton Vincent, president of the world’s largest confectionery company Mars Wrigley North America and a 1993 MBA graduate.

Other chief executives and top executives participating in the Evolve Global Summit, which is being presented virtually, include those who lead a who’s who of U.S. companies, such as Mattel, Chevron, MGM Resorts International, Duke Energy, PwC and Amalgamated Bank.

As inflationary, labor and supply issues converge, the summit will examine the ways in which leaders are adapting, transforming, and innovating to succeed. CNBC Evolve Global Summit will host executives from around the world to engage with and learn from leaders and innovators who are leaning into this new economic landscape and adjusting to stay ahead.

Vincent will be part of an afternoon panel, “Candy, Whiskey and Billion-Dollar Brands.” He will be joined by Jessica Spence, president of Beam Suntory Brands, owner of valued brands Jim Beam, Maker’s Mark, Suntory and Courvoisier. They will participate in a discussion about how “sweets and spirits businesses” are affected by rising inflation, high gas prices and stagnant wages.

“From smart marketing that reinforces deep consumer-brand connections while simultaneously bringing in new generations, to premiumization strategies aimed at capturing high-end consumers, to sustainability initiatives designed to offset supply chain constraints—these companies are innovating their way to growth. We’ll talk to presidents from both companies about the challenges and opportunities present in the current economic climate,” the conference preview says.

Brian Sullivan, anchor of CNBC “Worldwide Exchange,” will moderate.

Vincent previously was CEO of Greencore USA, a fresh convenience food supplier, and spent 20 years at General Mills, where he oversaw the Snacks, Frozen Frontier and Baking Divisions as president, and became a founding member of General Mills’ renowned Black Champions Network (BCN). He serves on the board of directors for the International Paper Company and is a member of the Kelley Dean’s Council.

Since joining Mars in 2019, Vincent has successfully led the acceleration of value creation of one of the world’s largest, most iconic consumer brand portfolios. He leads the cross-segment Regional Presidents Council and is the principal Mars leadership voice for industry and regulatory matters in the US.

In 2021, Vincent was one of nine Kelley alumni who were among Savoy magazine’s 2021 Most Influential Black Corporate Directors.

More information about CNBC’s Evolve Global Summit, including registration, is available here. Cost to attend is $149.

Thirteen students from Indiana chosen for prestigious Kelley Scholars program

Posted on July 6, 2022 by George Vlahakis

Kelley Scholars, top left to right, Mason Phillips, Emily Szczepanski and Cole Davis; bottom left to right, Kaylyn Cooper, Ana Alagappan and Chris Adams.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Thirteen incoming Indiana University freshmen from across the Hoosier state have been selected as Kelley Scholars at the Kelley School of Business.

The Kelley Scholars, who intend to major in business at IU Bloomington, will receive standard tuition and fees, a stipend for living expenses and funding for academic activities such as overseas study.

The Kelley Scholars Program is funded by a multi-million-dollar gift from E.W. “Ed” Kelley and his family, made to IU in the fall of 1997. The university named its school of business for the Kelley family in acknowledgment of the gift.

This year’s class of Kelley Scholars was selected from a group of top students admitted to IU, who were invited to apply for the program because of their outstanding academic records. The application included references, a high school transcript, several personal statements on a variety of topics and an essay.

The incoming Kelley Scholars are: (more…)

Manning Magid is first woman to lead faculty and research activities at Kelley IUPUI

Posted on July 1, 2022 by George Vlahakis

INDIANAPOLIS — Julie Manning Magid, professor of business law and ethics and the executive and academic director of Tobias Leadership Center, on July 1 became the first woman to lead faculty and research activities for the Indiana University Kelley School of Business at IUPUI.

Julie Manning Magid

As executive associate dean for faculty and research, Magid will serve on the leadership team of the Kelley School of Business, the IUPUI Academic Deans Council, oversee fiscal affairs, serve as department chairperson for all Indianapolis-based faculty, and guide faculty recruiting, promotion and tenure.

“With Idie being the first female dean, I think it’s important that she’s also appointed the first woman in leadership at Kelley Indianapolis, in its history,” Magid said. “I’m honored and excited to continue her legacy of creating opportunities for others and advancing greater equity.”

Idalene “Idie” Kesner announced in early April that she will step down as Kelley dean, effective July 31, after a decade of service and return to teaching. She was the first woman to serve as the school’s dean. Magid succeeds Ken Carow, who served as executive associate dean at Kelley IUPUI since 2016.

“It has been an honor to serve Kelley as the executive associate dean for faculty and research for six years and previously as the associate dean for Indianapolis research and programs for six years,” Carow said. “Kelley is a remarkable and innovative leader in business with an amazing group of faculty and staff dedicated to advancing research, teaching, and service. I’ve worked with Julie for 22 of my 25 total years at Kelley. She is an excellent leader and I look forward to working with her and seeing her impact on Kelley Indianapolis.”

The Kelley School faculty in Indianapolis are a unique interdisciplinary department of the overall business school.

“The complex problems that we’re facing in the future require an interdisciplinary perspective,” Magid said. “I think that the Kelley School recognized this when creating an interdisciplinary department that offers a lot of opportunities, often around research issues, to help solve problems. I am excited about exploring that model further, of what an interdisciplinary business program can do for solving complex problems.”

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Kelley School Indianapolis seeks growing businesses for student consulting

Posted on June 7, 2022 by George Vlahakis

Students in I-Core present their findings to faculty and company representatives.

INDIANAPOLIS — When students graduate from the Kelley School of Business at IUPUI, they learn more than what’s inside their textbooks. Through the renowned Integrated Core, or I-Core, project, students cap off their undergraduate degree with a hands-on consulting project with local companies that are looking for new revenue streams.

This collaboration has contributed to successful and innovative ideas at many companies in and around Indianapolis, large and small, while preparing undergraduate business students for real-world challenges. The Kelley School is accepting applications from Central Indiana firms looking for help reaching future success.

Christy Walchle, vice president of operations at WSI Technologies in Indianapolis, was looking for business solutions when she partnered with Kelley students at IUPUI on an I-Core project. At the time, one of WSI’s subsidiary companies was planning to launch a new interview recording application and wanted to look beyond the firm’s typical public safety clients for additional marketing opportunities.

Christy Walchle

“The students helped us come up with other avenues for that market and how to position the product,” Walchle said. “These students are so accustomed to our app-based world. We knew they could help us focus strategically from the perspective of users who prefer apps. The students’ creative juices help us think outside the box.”

Walchle says the deliverables the students provided her company in their final presentation and business briefs inspired conversation among company leadership. Rather than a student project that is politely accepted and never implemented, Walchle says the time her company spent with I-Core students produced takeaways that were applicable and useful to the business’s growth.

I-Core teams include five to six students working on each company’s project, guided by Kelley faculty. There is no cost to firms partnering on I-Core projects, only the time a company representative spends with the students.

“The student teams put together a management brief that we sent to our leadership team. It was fun hearing the comments back and forth between our leaders, discussing the various points the students made,” said Walchle, who has completed additional I-Core projects with Kelley students. “Everybody in our leadership team had a favorite, and we were all was so impressed with what a professional recommendation the students provided. It was great to see the pride they took in completing this work. They did a fantastic job, and it was an excellent experience.”

Kim Donahue

Throughout the semester, students work closely with companies to understand the organizations, discuss their needs and goals, and analyze potential opportunities. At the end of the semester, each team presents its findings and recommendations to a panel of company managers and the I-Core faculty.

“During the project, we researched their customers, learned about their challenges, created solutions, and debated with our teammates about which idea is worth pursuing,” said Taras Stefyuk, a Kelley senior at IUPUI majoring in management. “It was the most challenging semester of my college life, but I am glad I successfully finished it.”

While I-Core projects are centered around creating revenue-generating ideas through capital investments and operations updates, both students and company partners tend to get a great deal more out of these collaborations.

“Company representatives have enjoyed the interactions with our students, and they appreciate having a fresh set of ideas and opinions from the youngest generation, often taking advantage of recruiting for internships, mentorships, and full-time jobs,” said Kim Donahue, teaching professor and the I-Core coordinator for the Kelley School at IUPUI.

Angela Williams

Companies who collaborate with Kelley students on I-Core projects are investing in future business leaders, as more than 95% of Kelley students from IUPUI stay in central Indiana after graduation. Through I-Core, companies can present themselves and their job opportunities to a pool of high-quality business talent preparing to enter the job market.

Sherwin Williams Company has been an ongoing participant in I-Core projects. Talent Acquisition Specialist Angela Williams says the experience has successfully attracted many Kelley graduates to the company’s management and sales internships and training programs.

“I-Core helps us attract innovative, diverse thinkers and affords us the ability to shape our business in 2022 and beyond,” Williams said. “It’s a way for us to network with students in an intimate classroom setting and allows them to learn more about Sherwin Williams as a whole. We build awareness as students connect with our brand, and we give back by helping them gain hands-on experience.”

How to get involved

If you would like your business to partner on an I-Core project, complete an application. Companies must be:

For-profit organizations
In business for five years ideally, with a minimum of three years in operation
Able to show an operating profit for at least three years, with a minimum of one year
Incorporated as an S corporation, C corporation, or an LLC
Be open to sky-is-the-limit ideas

This article also appears on the Kelley School of Business IUPUI news blog.

Ash Soni named interim dean of IU’s Kelley School of Business

Posted on June 3, 2022 by George Vlahakis

Ash Soni has served the Kelley School in numerous roles since arriving in 1981.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Ash Soni, executive associate dean for academic programs at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business, has been named interim dean of the school starting Aug. 1.

Soni joined the school in 1981. He is a professor of operations and decision technologies and the school’s SungKyunKwan Professor, with expertise in enterprise systems and applications, emerging technologies, operations research and business analytics, supply chain management, and computer simulation.

“Ash has served as a prominent, effective leader at the Kelley School for more than 40 years,” IU Bloomington Provost and Executive Vice President Rahul Shrivastav said. “His history of helping guide the school through many transitions and changes qualifies him well for the interim dean role. I truly appreciate Ash stepping up as we prepare for a thorough national search to try to replace the quite irreplaceable Idie Kesner.”

Idalene “Idie” Kesner announced in early April that she will step down as Kelley dean, effective July 31, and return to teaching. Kesner was the first woman to serve as the school’s dean and earned her MBA and doctoral degrees at Kelley.

“I am thrilled to help lead the Kelley School during this transition,” Soni said. “I appreciate how committed our university leaders are to the school’s continued success, and I look forward to continuing the incredible progress we have made under Dean Kesner’s tutelage.”

Ash Soni

Soni earned his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Manchester, his Master of Science from the University of Strathclyde, and his MBA and Doctorate in Business Administration from Indiana University Bloomington. He has received many awards, honors and certificates, including the John W. Ryan Award for Distinguished Contributions to International Programs and Studies; Kelley Direct Teaching Program Excellence Award, which he won four times; and the MBA Teaching Excellence Award, for which he was honored 10 times.

The Kelley School of Business has been a leader in American business education since 1920, preparing students to lead organizations, start companies, develop new products and services, and shape business knowledge and policy.

With more than 126,000 living alumni and a total enrollment of nearly 14,500 students and 329 faculty members at IU Bloomington, IUPUI and online worldwide, the Kelley School is among the premier business schools in the country.

The school is frequently ranked among the top programs in the U.S. and globally. Its Kelley Direct online MBA and Master of Science programs are ranked No. 1 by U.S. News & World Report and the Princeton Review. U.S. News also rates Kelley undergraduate programs among the best, ranking it eighth overall. Ten specialty programs are in the top 20 of their areas, with eight of those — including accounting, entrepreneurship and marketing — in the top 10.

The Brian D. Jellison Living Learning Center offers Kelley students a diverse community of peers in a residential program that focuses on their personal, academic and professional development. Kelley students can choose from nearly 60 custom study abroad programs in 29 countries.

Kelley conference on AI in healthcare taking place at 16 Tech Innovation District on April 29

Posted on April 19, 2022 by George Vlahakis

INDIANAPOLIS — Shruti Iyer, principal innovation architect at Oracle Health Sciences, will keynote the conference, “The Potential of Artificial Intelligence and Smart Devices in Healthcare, being presented April 29 in Indianapolis by the Indiana University Kelley School of Business.

Iyer will kick off the conference, the latest event in the Indiana Life Sciences Collaboration Conference Series, organized by Kelley’s Center for the Business of Life Sciences. The Indiana Biosciences Research Institute – located in the 16 Tech Innovation District – is the conference host.

Shruti Iyer

“The potential uses of artificial intelligence in diagnosing conditions and treating patients are growing,” said George Telthorst, director of the Center for the Business of Life Sciences and a senior lecturer at the Kelley School. “Regulatory bodies weigh benefits versus patient risks as they consider approving products using AI. Among other things, this conference will explore how AI and the phone in one’s pocket may well represent the next leap forward in healthcare.”

Sessions will focus on applications of artificial intelligence in current use and its potential and limits for further uses. Presenters will include specialists from the IU School of Medicine and the University of Missouri, the Indiana Biosciences Research Institute as well as senior executives at Anthem, CareAscend, Community Health Network, Elanco, Eli Lilly and Company, hc1, LifeOmic, OneBridge, Roche Information Systems and Zimmer Biomet. Support also comes from the State of Indiana.

The conference is a hybrid, taking place in person at 1210 Waterway Blvd in Indianapolis and will be presented online. It will begin at 9 a.m. and wrap up at 3:15 p.m. The Indiana Biosciences Research Institute will offer a tour of 16 Tech at the conclusion of the conference.

As principal innovation architect at Oracle, Iyer leads clinical innovation in the Health Sciences Global Business Unit and works with cross-functional teams in transforming complex challenges into innovative, simple, and patient-centric solutions to advance clinical development and care delivery.

Prior to Oracle, Lyer worked at Medtronic in a variety of roles driving end-to-end medical device development in the neuromodulation and cardiac rhythm and heart failure businesses. She most recently led product risk strategy for a remote patient monitoring solution for late-stage heart failure patients.

She has a Bachelor of Engineering in Biomedical Engineering and a Master of Science degree in Medical Device Innovation – both from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities – where she also graduated as a Technological Leadership Institute Fellow.

The registration fee for attending in-person is $175 and includes lunch. The cost for those attending virtually will be $75. Students at accredited Indiana institutions of higher education may qualify for a discounted rate. Registration and additional information are available on the conference webpage or by contacting Kelli Conder at the Kelley School at 812-856-0915 or kconder@indiana.edu.

The Center for the Business of Life Sciences also offers a certificate program for professionals passionate about a career in life sciences or those wishing to better understand how business and science interact.

IU Kelley School of Business Dean Idie Kesner stepping down after a decade of service

Posted on April 8, 2022 by George Vlahakis

Kesner in October 2012, after her initial appointment as interim dean.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Idalene “Idie” Kesner announced on April 8 that she will step down as dean of the Indiana University Kelley School of Business, effective July 31, and return to teaching.

Kesner, an alumna who earned her MBA and doctorate at Kelley, became dean in May 2013 after holding several leadership roles at the school.

The first woman to lead Kelley, she directed the school through a prodigious period in its history that has included growth in undergraduate and graduate enrollments without diluting admissions standards, greater student diversity and international expansion. Today, Kelley has a total enrollment of 14,471 students at IU Bloomington, IUPUI, and online worldwide.

Prior to her appointment as dean, she chaired the Kelley School’s Full-Time MBA Program from 2003 to 2006 and the Department of Management and Entrepreneurship from 2006 to 2009. She co-directed the school’s Consulting Academy from 1996 to 2003. From 2009 until her appointment as interim dean in October 2012, she was associate dean of faculty and research.

Before returning to teach at Kelley in 1995, Kesner had a titled professorship at the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina, where she taught for 12 years.

Kesner’s research is in the areas of corporate boards of directors, chief executive succession, corporate governance, and mergers and acquisitions, and she has published articles in numerous journals including Academy of Management, Strategic Management Journal, Journal of Management and Harvard Business Review. She has taught in more than 100 executive programs and served as a consultant for many national and international firms working on strategic and board-related issues.

Dean Kesner and former undergraduate chair Ramesh Venkataraman celebrate with students who are looking forward to beginning their careers in 2014.

She currently sits on the boards of various companies and has served on the board of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, the main accrediting body for business schools. In 2019, she became the second woman to be named “Dean of the Year” by Poets & Quants, a leading news site about business education.

“It has been an honor serving as dean for the Kelley School for 10 years — one year as interim dean and nine years as dean,” Kesner said. “I won’t recount the many accomplishments of our Kelley faculty, staff, students, and alumni over this period, but it’s safe to say that as a group we have achieved much. Because of you, this school is positioned well for the future.

“I am grateful that you have allowed me to be in your good company,” she added. “Nothing in my career before or after will compare to serving this great organization and being part of this great family. Thank you for granting me the privilege of serving as dean for this amazing school.”

An interim dean will be announced in the near future.

Kesner will return to the faculty after a one-semester administrative leave.

Kelley Impact Competition, created with alum’s support, helps chamber address DEI issues

Posted on April 5, 2022 by George Vlahakis

Hosted by the Kelley Institute for Social Impact, the Kelley Impact Case Competition brings together socially minded students in order to find and implement solutions to a social issue in Bloomington.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – As a student at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business, Lance Breitstein fell in love with the stock market. He read or watched anything he could find on the topic, whether it was a book, a blog or a video.

“What I realized was that I really wanted to go into the field of stock trading,” recalled Breitstein, a 2011 Kelley alumnus who today lives in Chicago.

After getting a bachelor’s degree in finance, Breitstein spent a “wonderful” decade working at Trillium Management, one of the nation’s first and fastest growing digital trading firms. He managed its Chicago office and became one of its top traders.

Lance Breitstein

But by 2018, Breitstein felt he had accomplished much of what he had set out to do professionally and began thinking about how he could give back. He was deeply affected by something he read, “The Life You Can Save,” a 2009 book that has fueled the effective altruism movement and inspired major philanthropists to give more effectively.

“I realized that it’s not so much ‘can we do these things.’ We can, but it’s a lot of psychological biases to giving that prevents these things. My realization was that it’s not about picking a cause, it’s more so how can you get each person doing their own little part,” he said.

Breitstein realized he wanted to do more than simply write checks to different causes — he wanted to find ways for himself and others to “exponentially amplify” giving in some form, whether it was time, money, or wisdom.

It went back to what he learned at Kelley about “compounding” — the process in which an asset’s earnings are reinvested to generate additional earnings over time. But instead of just a financial asset, it also could involve the “good that you can do.”

A new kind of case competition is born

Around that time, he came to Bloomington for a return visit at the Kelley School and found a shared desire to challenge students to find new ways to address and resolve social issues, starting with those faced in Bloomington.

With support from the school’s Kelley Institute for Social Impact, the Kelley Impact Competition was born. Students would be introduced to a local public service organization and a key challenge it faces and then compete for $15,000 in student prize money. Most importantly, the winning team would receive $10,000 in seed money to put the winning idea into action.

The competition is open to all IU undergraduate students. Organizers welcome participation from teams of four students who demonstrate a variety of academic and professional interests.

“What really struck a chord with me with the impact competition is that you’re able to get right out in front of these socially minded college students, who truly care about these issues, and you are empowering them and showing them that they can make a difference and tackle these issues in the community around them,” Breitstein said.

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How to get involved

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