Hello 2013!

Walton will welcome its new MBA class on Monday. Orientation will be January 7-11 and classes start on the 14th. I will be sure to post pictures throughout the week.

Here are the stats for the class of 2014:

Class size = 34
GMAT = 655
Women = 50%
International = 30%
Age = 25.5
States represented are: Arkansas, Missouri, Texas, Alabama, Colorado, South Carolina, and Washington DC.
Countries represented are: Bolivia, China, India, Vietnam, France, and Brazil
Undergraduate institutions are: UofA, Univ of Kansas, Clemson, Univ of Colorado, Univ of Oklahoma, Baylor, TCU, Georgetown, SMU, and Washington Univ.

Before we get started on the new year, I need to wrap up 2012. December was a very busy month. On December 7 we held our first meeting of our new MBA Alumni Advisory Board. Here are some pictures of that meeting:

Our students also spent December studying for and taking finals. Here are some shots I took in the building as the semester came to a close.

Come back next week to see how MBA Orientation is going.

To join the Walton MBA class of 2015, submit your application materials by April 1, 2013. Our application requirements can be found at http://gsb.uark.edu/admissions.asp. This class will begin in January of 2014.

Soaring Swine

Did the title of this post get your attention? Good. We have these amazing, new, beautiful flying pigs that have been placed all over Fayetteville. I wanted to share a couple (okay, 3) with you.

These first two are located on the Fayetteville square.

As you may be able to tell, this one is in front of the Clinton House Museum (located in Bill and Hillary's home while living in Fayetteville and teaching at the UofA Law School).

It has almost become a game for me to look for them around town. They make me smile. Each has a unique paint design. I find them delightfully whimsical and a perfect fit for Fayetteville. Afterall, we are home to the mighty Arkansas Razorbacks. These very cute piggies do not in any way resemble a razorback. We do have a few of those placed strategically around campus as well.

On a side note, we do have a new head hog. The announcement was made yesterday that Wisconsin's head coach, Bret Bielema, will be the new Arkansas Razorback football coach. It has been very interesting listening to the response over the last couple of days. I am cautiously optimistic. He has a very good record. Time will tell.

The University will be closed from Monday, December 24 through Tuesday, January 1 for the Christmas break. We will return to the office on Wednesday, January 2nd. MBA Orientation is January 7-11 and classes will begin on the 14th. I risk sounding like my grandmother by saying this, but where has the time gone? This semester has flown by very quickly. Like my cute pigs.

Fall Is Upon Us

It was a chilly 20 something this morning when I left for work. It's a beautiful 55 degrees and sunny now. The trees are red, yellow, and orange. It is fall in the Ozarks. Winter will be shortly upon us.

I have finished my fall travels. Last week I visited University of the Ozarks and University of Central Arkansas. The busy season is winding down. We are still finishing up the next MBA class to begin in January. Applications will be accepted through the end of the month. The University will be closed December 24-January 2. The MBA class will be finalized before we leave for the Holiday break.

There are some new PhD deadlines approaching. Accounting and Marketing deadline is December 1 and Supply Chain Management is December 15. For a complete list of application requirements, visit http://gsb.uark.edu/admissions.asp. January 15 is the deadline for all other PhD programs. 

Next Friday, November 23 the Razorbacks will host rival, LSU. This is going to be a very tough game. Fingers crossed that the Hogs can pull it off.

Happy Thanksgiving! 

Walton Wins Supply Chain Challenge at Michigan State

Michigan State University’s Broad College of Business held its third annual Bowersox Graduate Supply Chain challenge Oct. 25–26 at the James B. Henry Center for Executive Development. The competition involved a supply chain simulation — the Supply Chain Operations Decision Environment (SCODE) — developed at the Broad College in cooperation with several major corporations including Chrysler, Dow Chemical, Flextronics, IBM, and Motorola.

Teams from nine of the 15 top–ranked schools in supply chain management travelled to MSU to take on the challenge. On day one, teams received a simulation overview and training by Stanley Griffis, associate professor of supply chain management. The next day, teams took on the simulation and made numerous supply chain decisions ranging from modes of transportation to production schedules and order fulfillment, among many other factors. Teams were then ranked based on total revenue, order fulfillment, inventory turns, and a profit the Broad College calls “supply chain contribution.”

Competitors searched for a winning combination as they reflected on the lessons learned. Several mentioned the importance of paying attention to deadlines and good teamwork. Others acknowledged the value of forecasting demand and being responsive. In the end, first place went to the University of Arkansas, followed by Ohio State University in second, and MSU in third. 

Participating schools included: Arizona State University, Carnegie Mellon University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Michigan State University, Ohio State University, Purdue University, University of Arkansas, University of Tennessee, and University of Wisconsin.

Upcoming Opportunities

There will be an Information Session tonight at the Arkansas World Trade Center in Rogers at 5:30 for the part-time MBA (MMBA). Dr. Vikas Anand, MBA program director, will be in attendance.

Next week, Thursday, November 1, we will host an Open House for all Walton Master's degrees at 5:30 in 403 Willard J. Walker Hall. The program directors will be in attendance.

These two events will give you the opportunity to learn more about your program of interest and to meet the program director.

Immediately following the Open House on November 1, we are hosting a Social at Powerhouse Seafood and Grill. The Social is for current, former, and prospective Walton master's students. Faculty will also be in attendance. The Social provides prospective students the opportunity to meet current students and it allows our alumni to come back and catch up with each other as well as their faculty members.

If you are in Northwest Arkansas and are interested in a Walton master's degree, I hope you are able to attend one of these opportunities. There will be similar events in the spring. Stay tuned.

On the Road Again

October is a very busy month in graduate admissions. I have made recruiting trips to the University of Arkansas - Pine Bluff and the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith. On October 31, Halloween, I will be at Arkansas Tech University.

I was also able to go to the part-time MBA conference in Atlanta. It was very nice to reconnect with colleagues from other institutions.

This Thursday, October 25 we will host an information session in Rogers at the Arkansas World Trade Center at 5:30. The focus will be Walton's part-time MBA and the program director will be in attendance.

An Open House will be held on Thursday, November 1 at 5:30 in 403 Willard J. Walker Hall on the University of Arkansas campus. This event is for all those interested in a master's degree at the Walton College. Program directors will be in attendance. The Open House will be followed by a Social. The Social is for all current, former, and prospective Walton grad students. Faculty are also invited to attend. The Social gives our prospective students the opportunity to meet current students. It also gives our alumni a chance to catch up with each other and chat with their old (as in former and not in age) faculty members.

This is the time corporate recruiting begins as well. Corporate visits are made to recruit for the two Walton part-time programs - MBA and MIS. Walmart's ISD was visited last week. In two weeks I'll be visiting Unilever. I am also in the process of scheduling a visit it UAMS in Little Rock.

The fall semester is really flying by. I can't believe it'll be November next week. There is still so much to do before we leave for the holiday break.

We are still accepting domestic applications for the MBA program that will begin in January. Please visit http://gsb.uark.edu/admissions.asp for the complete list of our application requirements. We currently have 8-10 seats still available.

Email any questions to gsb@walton.uark.edu.

Walton Career Fair

The Walton Career Fair was held on Tuesday, September 25th. Here are some of the companies who were present:

ABF Freight System
Acosta
Acxiom
Amazon.com
Arvest
BNSF Logistics
Campbell Soup
Cargill
Cintas Corporation
Colgate Palmolive
ConAgra
ConocoPhillips
Dillard's
Enterprise
Ernst & Young, LLP
FedEx
Firestone
Frito Lay
General Mills
Hertz
Hewlett Packard
Hilti
JB Hunt
JC Penney
Johnson & Johnson
Kraft Foods
Lowe's
Mutual of Omaha
Nestle
Nielsen
Northwestern Mutual
Pepsi
P & G
Reckitt Benckiser
Saatchi & Saatchi X
SC Johnson
Sherwin-Williams
Southwestern Energy
Target
Transplace
Tyson
Unilever
USA Truck
Verizon
Walgreens
Walmart
Windstream

And here are some photos of the event.

 Sampath is an alumnus from our full-time MBA. He is in the blue shirt.

 Angie is in the Walton part-time MBA. She is with Tyson.

 Courtney has just started the Walton part-time MBA. She is with Johnson & Johnson.

Marion is the Assistant Dean for the Graduate School of Business. She is chatting with a prospective student about the Walton MBA.

 Caitlyn is in our full-time program now and will graduate in May.

 Alex is an alumnus from the Walton full-time program. He is now with Nielsen.