Thirty business schools competing in the 2024 National Diversity Case Competition, presented by the IU Kelley School of Business

Posted on January 11, 2024 by George Vlahakis

Members of a team from Texas A&M celebrate on learning that they won the 2023 National Diversity Case Competition.

Editor’s note: This article has been updated to include information about the winner and finalists. Scroll down to the bottom of the article for more information.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Teams of students from 30 colleges and universities are coming this weekend to the Indiana University Kelley School of Business to compete at the 2024 National Diversity Case Competition.

The competition, which is held the weekend before Martin Luther King Jr. Day, will bring together 118 students who represent some of the best and most diverse talent in undergraduate education from across the nation.

Among the participating teams are four from historically Black institutions Claflin University, Delaware State University, Howard University and Xavier University of Louisiana.

Students are challenged to solve diversity-related business issues and share ideas while benefiting from workshops and networking with companies that value inclusion. This year, the competition will focus on a case provided by AbbVie that focuses on improving the level of diversity participation in clinical trials.

The company is looking for solutions to de-stigmatize clinical trials and help increase participation, particularly among underrepresented groups.

Many students find that participating in this event leads to leadership opportunities, internships and jobs after graduation. They will compete for $22,000 in prize money.

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Kelley School honors 10 accounting graduates for their professional and community contributions

Posted on December 14, 2023 by George Vlahakis

Kelley alumna Tricia Mulcare received the Community Service Award from Brian Miller, the Sam Frumer Professor of Accounting.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Ten accounting alumni of the Indiana University Kelley School of Business were honored recently, recognizing them for their professional achievements and contributions to the field and their communities.

This year’s award recipients represented a broad cross section of firms and professionals and included John Hassell, an accounting professor at Kelley Indianapolis (who is profiled in a separate article).

“We are very proud of our alumni. I know we graduate hard workers with keen insight and innovative problem-solving,” said Patrick Hopkins, vice dean of the Kelley School in Bloomington, where he also a Conrad Prebys Professor in accounting. “We graduate professionals who understand the importance of teamwork and being of service, not just in your companies, but in your communities.

“Our alumni are the perfect role models for our current students and vital to the continued excellence of our accounting programs,” Hopkins added. “We appreciate your support and involvement with our accounting programs, and we celebrate your hard work and innovative practices as you continue to create momentum.”

The awards were presented at the annual Accounting Alumni & Friends Recognition Banquet on Nov. 2 at Presidents Hall. Here’s more information about those honored:

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Long-time accounting professor at Kelley Indianapolis and a two-time Kelley alumnus honored by his peers

Posted on December 14, 2023 by George Vlahakis

From left, Tod Perry, associate dean of faculty at Kelley Indianapolis; Patrick Hopkins, vice dean at Kelley Bloomington; John Hassell, professor of accounting at Kelley Indianapolis; and Eric Holzman, assistant professor of accounting at Kelley Bloomington.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – John Hassell, an accounting professor at Indiana University Kelley School of Business Indianapolis and two-time alumnus of the Kelley School, was honored by his peers at Bloomington for his impact on teaching, service and research for more than a quarter century.

Hassell, who earned an MBA and a Ph.D. in accounting in 1983 from the Kelley School at Bloomington, received the Academic Excellence Award and was one of 10 honored at the annual Accounting Alumni & Friends Recognition Banquet on Nov. 2. He has taught at Kelley Indianapolis since 1996.

“Suffice to say, I was honored, grateful,” Hassell said. “Since 1950, 185 people have earned doctorates from the business school with a focus on accounting and I am proud to be among them. These graduates have made significant contributions to the accounting profession, particularly through their research. To be chosen for this award by my accounting faculty peers was a tremendous honor.”

John Hassell

Hassell noted that IU and the Kelley School have affected every aspect of his career.

“When my wife Barb (a clinical professor of management) and I were asked to come back to teach at IUPUI, it was a quick yes,” Hassell said. “We are committed to urban education, and we saw it as an opportunity to continue the Kelley School’s commitment to excellent research, teaching, and service.

“As an alum, I am proud of the evolution of the Accounting Department into one of the premier research faculties in the U.S,” added Hassell, who will join his wife in retiring from teaching this spring.

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Kelley School’s new Master of Science in Management degree offers practical skills in leadership and strategy

Posted on December 1, 2023 by George Vlahakis

Associate Professor Erik Gonzalez-Mulé met with students to discuss the new Master of Science in Management MSM program on November 1, 2023

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — The Indiana University Kelley School of Business is offering a new residential master’s degree for recent college graduates who want to add management skills to their undergraduate education.

Kelley’s new Master of Science in Management degree is designed to enable any student — including those who studied the humanities, sciences, music, the arts, public health or other business-adjacent fields — to build upon their undergraduate degree knowledge through courses which emphasize business acumen and tangible business experience needed to advance in their career.

Richard Ash

“This new degree harnesses the diversity of career paths of students in the program, creating dynamic classroom environments where they will build on that knowledge and benefit from a multitude of perspectives. Students will learn from distinguished Kelley faculty about a range of industries,” said Richard Ash, clinical associate professor of management and entrepreneurship and program chair.

“Graduates will emerge from the program equipped with the skills and versatility needed to be successful in a wide range of roles and industries throughout their careers,” Ash added.

The degree at IU Bloomington can be completed in less than a year. Graduates gain a competitive advantage in the job market, accelerated progression to jumpstart their careers, and access to one of the world’s largest business school alumni networks.

“The Master of Science in Management degree opens up opportunities for students who have pursued both business or non-business undergraduate degrees, and now, want to add management, leadership, communications, and business strategy to their resume,” said Ash Soni, dean of the Kelley School and Sungkyunkwan Professor.

“We have created a degree that offers students a career path that is unique, competitive, and takes advantage of the best that Kelley has to offer,” Soni said. “Through this degree students will also gain connections to mentors, business leaders, and expert faculty who can support and guide them in their careers.”

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Poets&Quants ranks Kelley Direct Online MBA Program No. 1 for the third time

Posted on November 27, 2023 by George Vlahakis

Celebrating a No. 1 ranking is a tradition for students in the Kelley Direct Online MBA Program.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — For the second straight year, the Kelley Direct Online MBA program at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business is ranked No. 1 by Poets&Quants, a leading news site about business education.

Kelley Direct has held the No. 1 position three times since Poets&Quants launched their ranking seven years ago and has always placed in the top five. That consistent record of quality also was highlighted in Poets&Quants’ decision to name Kelley Direct the MBA Program of the Year two years ago.

Created in 1999, Kelley Direct is the original online MBA program from a top-tier business school. The program is uniquely designed in how it serves the needs of working professionals. Earlier this year, Kelley Direct was ranked No.1 by U.S. News & World Report – for a second straight year – as well as No. 1 by the Princeton Review for the sixth consecutive year.

Ash Soni

This latest recognition for Kelley Direct is yet another affirmation of its faculty and staff’s constant efforts to innovate and put students first, said Ash Soni, dean of the Kelley School and The SungKyunKwan Professor.

“Nearly 25 years after we set the standard in online MBA education, we’re still leading the way,” Soni said. “Our faculty and staff are 100 percent invested in creating momentum for our students and continue to push the boundaries of what an online MBA should be. We are very proud of Kelley Direct’s legacy of excellence.”

This year, 51 business schools worldwide participated in the rankings, which are based on three equally weighted factors: the quality of incoming students, an assessment of the MBA experience by graduates and career outcomes of alumni.

In addition to the top overall ranking, Kelley Direct ranked No. 1 in the admissions category for the third straight year. It also placed second in academic experience and 10th in career outcomes. The program is focused on providing the best overall MBA experience, offering an online MBA experience that doesn’t feel like an online program.

Will Geoghegan

“Kelley Direct offers personal touches more common to full-time, residential MBA programs. We are always looking for ways students can connect with one another and with our faculty and staff, as if they were here on campus, learning in person full-time,” said Will Geoghegan, chair of Kelley Direct and clinical associate professor of management and entrepreneurship.

“For example, we offer weekly virtual live class sessions, global and domestic immersions tailored to online MBA students, and career services and coaching specifically for advanced career professionals – program elements many other online MBA programs can’t or don’t replicate,” Geoghegan said.

In its article accompanying the rankings, Poets&Quants’ editors noted several features that differentiated Kelley Direct from its competitors, including affordability, its facilities such as the $10 million Jellison Studios, and that the program is taught entirely by full-time Kelley faculty who work with the Kelley instructional design team to deliver coursework.

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IU Kelley School conference to focus on inequities in health and wellness

Posted on November 13, 2023 by George Vlahakis

Black female pediatrician hold stethoscope exam child boy patient visit doctor with mother (stock photo)

The conference will examine ongoing efforts to improve both the delivery of healthcare and health-related social factors like access to healthy foods. (Getty Image)

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Indiana University Kelley School of Business is hosting a conference on Dec. 1 focusing on widespread inequities in health and wellness among different populations and ongoing efforts in the state to address them.

Dr. Paul K. Halverson, founding dean of the Fairbanks School of Public Health at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, who has served as senior health advisor for the state health commissioners as well as the governor’s office, will open the conference as keynote speaker.

The conference, “Closing the Gap of Health Inequalities,” will take place at Roche Diagnostics, 9115 Hague Rd, on the northeast side of Indianapolis. It is part of the Indiana Life Sciences Collaboration Series, presented by the Kelley School’s Center for the Business of Life Sciences.

“Addressing the persistent disparities in health and wellness is an issue that can’t be ignored. While the healthcare cost implications are significant, the societal and economic implications are even more so,” said George Telthorst, the center’s director.

“This conference will examine ongoing efforts to improve both the delivery of healthcare and health-related social factors like access to healthy foods, access to transportation and safe neighborhoods, which influence health outcomes.”

Paul Halverson

Halverson will present the conference’s opening keynote, “Defining Health Inequities,” at 9:15 am.

Other presenters will include Paige Bingham, director of Close the Gap, a health equity initiative supported by Boston Scientific; Ariana McGee, founder and CEO of Navigate Maternity, a Fort Wayne-based company that produces a wearable intuitive monitoring system that collects data and notifies providers when there are significant or alarming patient changes, and Holly Wood, senior director of Purdue University’s Equity Health Initiative.

Participating on a panel discussion about provider perspective and initiatives will be Edmond Davis, senior director for health equity at Zimmer Biomet; Dr. Brownsyne Tucker Edmonds, associate professor of obstetrics & gynecology and associate dean for health equity research at the IU School of Medicine and vice president and chief health equity officer at IU Health; and Tedd Grain, vice president of social determinants of health at Eskenazi Health Foundation and Eskenazi Health. Marsha Weiner, director, project management office at Boston Scientific, will moderate.

A second panel looking at the payer’s perspective will feature Antoniette Holt, division director of the Office of Minority Health at the Indiana Department of Health; Darryl Lockett, health equity director at Anthem Indiana Medicaid; Andy Vetor, president of benefits consulting and chief growth officer at MJ Insurance. Jenn Kowalski, vice president of the Public Policy Institute at Elevance Health, will moderate.

Halverson joined the Fairbanks School of Public Health in 2013 as the first dean of a newly established school. The school was created in September 2012 through a $20 million endowment from the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation and a $1 million feasibility study from Eli Lilly and Company. In his role, he has served as a senior health advisor for the state health commissioners as well as the governor’s office, and led the Indiana Health Systems Review, which led to a role in the Governor’s Public Health Commission. In addition, Halverson led the creation of an academic health department within the Marion County Public Health Department, led by Dr. Virginia Caine.

He recently was appointed as dean and professor at the School of Public Health at the Oregon Health & Science University and Portland State University, and this conference will be one of his last public appearances in Indiana. Earlier this month, he was awarded one of the highest distinctions in the state of Indiana, the Sagamore of the Wabash. The award is the highest bestowed by the governor of Indiana and is a personal tribute given to those who have rendered distinguished service to the state.

The Center for the Business of Life Sciences brings together key players from industry, academia, government, and economic development communities to share ideas and expertise. It drives the Kelley School’s life sciences agenda and provides connections to its outreach and research activity and its academic programs.

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IU and Kelley students, faculty and staff build Habitat home for Bloomington family

Posted on October 9, 2023 by George Vlahakis

Group of people on the field waving to the camera, after Maria Magno-Perez and her three children accepted the keys to their new home.

The IU Kelley School of Business has worked with Habitat for Humanity of Monroe County, Habitat for Humanity International, and Whirlpool Corporation to participate in a community home build. Students, staff, and faculty are invited each fall to volunteer with us to build a home and community together. Last year, Maria Magno-Perez and her three children accepted the keys to their new home on the field at IU’s Homecoming game.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Among the thousands of fans flowing into Memorial Stadium for Indiana University’s football game, the word “homecoming” will have special meaning for one Bloomington family.

While homecoming is a tradition of welcoming back alumni and friends, for Cherri Morris and her four grandchildren, it will be remembered as the day they received the keys to a home of their own. As part of Homecoming Weekend, they will join leaders from the IU Kelley School of Business, Habitat for Humanity and sponsor Whirlpool Corp. at the official groundbreaking for their new home.

An official groundbreaking and celebration will take place at 8:30 a.m. Oct. 21 at the building site in Osage Place, Habitat’s third neighborhood in Monroe County. The public is welcome to attend. The day before, students, faculty and staff from IU and the Kelley School along with Whirlpool employees will begin building the home through Habitat for Humanity of Monroe County.

This will be the 13th house constructed since the collaboration with Whirlpool Corp. began in 2010. Nearly 3,000 IU students, staff, faculty, and alumni have come together to build the previous homes alongside Monroe County families. About 245 people are expected to volunteer this year. Morris’s new home will be one of 250 climate-resilient and energy efficient homes built through the BuildBetter with Whirlpool initiative.

Local and national Habitat representatives will be joined at the build and groundbreaking event by volunteers, campus leaders and several current and retired Whirlpool Corp. executives. The executives include those with strong ties to Kelley, such as retired CEO Jeff Fettig, who earned a bachelor’s degree and MBA from IU before joining the company in 1981.

Morris and her grandchildren will symbolically receive keys to her home after the event, on the field at Memorial Stadium before IU’s homecoming football game against Rutgers University.

Cherri Morris and her four grandchildren in a family portrait

This year’s homeowner, Cherri Morris, and her grandchildren

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Christopher LaMothe, key leader in Indiana’s venture capital community, to speak at IU Entrepreneurial Connection Day

Posted on October 4, 2023 by George Vlahakis

Christopher LaMothe

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Three alumni of the Indiana University Kelley School of Business will return to campus on Oct. 6 to share insights and experiences with students, faculty, and guests at the 14th IU Entrepreneurial Connection Day.

Christopher LaMothe, a 1992 MBA graduate, venture capitalist and a key figure in the state’s business community, will be the keynote speaker and will receive the William L. Haeberle Entrepreneurial Legacy Award.

Also presenting is John Walter, a 2008 MBA graduate and executive vice president of Direct Supply, a leading provider of the healthcare and medical products; and David Weisburd, head of venture capital at 10X Capital and a 2008 graduate with a bachelor’s degree in management and entrepreneurship.

The event will take place from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. in Room 2075 of the Hodge Hall Undergraduate Center, beginning with remarks by LaMothe. It will wrap up with an annual networking event for IU Kelley entrepreneur alumni and students. There is no cost to attend.

The event is being presented by the Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Kelley School.

Christopher LaMothe

LaMothe is founder and CEO of Ascendanci Ventures, a private equity entity focusing on early-stage tech and tech-service firms. He served as CEO of Elevate Ventures from 2015 to 2022, a venture development venture capital organization investing in start-up and early-stage entrepreneurial launches throughout Indiana.

Elevate Ventures was ranked, and has held the ranking by Pitchbook since 2017, as the number one early-stage VC in the Great Lakes and in the top 10 in the world.

Before Elevate Ventures, he served as executive vice president of Element Materials Technologies, leading the global transportation, power generation and industrials sectors of the company.

In 2013, Element Materials Technologies acquired Sherry Laboratories in 2013, which LaMothe had acquired in 2006. As its partner, chairman and CEO, Sherry Laboratories grew into a diversified testing company with divisions in materials, engineering, food and microbiological, oil & gas and environmental with eight laboratories in five states serving national and international customers.

He also has been president and chief operating officer of Oxford Financial Group, LTD, one of the largest private wealth management firms in the country. He also served as CEO of the Trust Company of Oxford with nearly $8 billion under management.

Many Hoosiers remember LaMothe’s contributions as president and CEO of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. There, he was instrumental in the vision, funding and completion of numerous studies that were used to create a master plan for the direction of the State of Indiana. This plan, Economic Vision 2010, was the foundation for the growing resurgence of Indiana’s prospects and business climate. (more…)

Kelley School and Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies co-sponsor conference, “Business and Peace Scholarship: The Next 25 Years”

Posted on September 22, 2023 by George Vlahakis

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — The two-day Business Horizons Workshop, “Business and Peace Scholarship: The Next 25 Years,” set for Sept. 26-27, brings Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business and Institute for International Business together with the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame, to focus on bridging the gap between business and peace studies.

The first day is a private, invitation-only session, while the second day is open to the public.

Tim Fort

“This gathering seeks to consider what the next 25 years or so will look like,” said organizer Timothy L. Fort, affiliated scholar of business ethics at the Kroc Institute, who holds the Eveleigh Professorship in business ethics at the Kelley School. “We will look in terms of disciplines the field might encompass, geographical areas to be considered, and values of business organizations and how those values may or may not foster peace.”

“The State of the Art in Business and Peace” is the focus for day one, with participants and conference co-organizers Jason Miklian, senior researcher of business development at the Centre for Development and the Environment at the University of Oslo, and John Katsos, associate professor of management at the American University of Sharjah. Other invited scholars represent the Wharton School of Management, University of York, Peace Research Institute Oslo, Kedge Business School in France, Universidad de los Andes in Colombia and others.

The second day’s theme, “Bringing the Business and Peace Agenda Forward,” will be an opportunity for engagement with the public via Zoom. The discussion will center on the role of business in Colombia, with four scholars presenting papers on business and industry issues in the country, including Richard (Drew) Marcantonio, assistant teaching professor of management and organization at the Mendoza College of Business.

Marcantonio’s paper, “Environmental violence and Enterprise: The outsized role of business for environmental eacebuilding,” will also be included in a special workshop issue of Business Horizons. The academic journal aims to showcase articles that provide empirical evidence and theoretical contributions on how organizations can and should adjust their management and operations to adapt to the current era of uncertainty–particularly related to climate change, globalization, and social inequalities.

In his article, Marcantonio delves into the role of business as a primary producer and contributor to environmental violence, as well as the possibility of business being a force for good, protecting the environment.

“This is my first foray into speaking truth to power in this area of scholarship,” said Marcantonio, “I am excited to see how it is received.”

Those interested in attending the second day’s public event may register via Zoom.

Editor’s note: This article originally was a news announcement from the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies.

Kelley School of Business honors six alumni for their professional achievements

Posted on September 20, 2023 by George Vlahakis

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Six alumni of the Indiana University Kelley School of Business will be honored for professional achievement and volunteer leadership during the 2023 Kelley Alumni Awards Ceremony on Oct. 7 at IU Bloomington.

The Kelley Academy of Alumni Fellows recognizes alumni who have earned the stature of exceptional leaders by their demonstrated successes in organizations and their contributions to management philosophies and practices. This year’s class of fellows includes:

Tom Cole, BS’82, retired co-head of U.S. Leveraged Finance at Citigroup Global Markets
Yousuf Mahomed, MD, MBA’15, professor emeritus of surgery at the IU School of Medicine and co-founder, owner, and CEO of Mahomed Sales & Warehousing, LLC
Deidra (Dee) Merriwether, MBA’97, chief financial officer at Grainger
Michelle Wu, BS’01, senior vice president Core IT at Brenntag

The Distinguished Entrepreneur Award recognizes alumni who have demonstrated the ability to establish a new business or turn around or significantly grow an established business. This year’s award will be presented to Greg Oslan, BS’82, CEO of Arturo.

Derek Hicks, MBA’02, executive vice president & chief business officer at Intellia Therapeutics, will receive the Volunteer Leadership Award. He is recognized for extraordinary involvement with and investment in the Kelley School and for inspiring and impacting future generations of alumni leaders.

“It is an immense honor to celebrate the achievements of these exceptional alumni, who have positively impacted the global business landscape while promoting Kelley’s culture of collaboration and support,” said Ash Soni, dean of the Kelley School and The Sungkyunkwan Professor. “They embody the very essence of what it means to be a Kelley, and their journey from our classrooms demonstrates the transformative power of a Kelley education.”

The Kelley School of Business Alumni Association selects and confers members of the Academy of Alumni Fellows, which now includes 257 individuals. Read more about this year’s award recipients. (more…)

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