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In Perspective

While the U.S. economy continues to struggle, jobs remain elusive and healthcare embarks upon a new era, one thing remains certain: the Merage School is on the move.
    We continue to climb in the rankings - U.S. News & World Report ranks our Fully-Employed MBA program 24th and our Executive MBA program 23rd in the U.S. Our Full-Time MBA program ranks 36th on the U.S. News & World Report list. We're also among BusinessWeek's elite top 45 and 25th for alumni success (lifetime income). Most impressive, we are ranked #1 among the top 50 schools in the nation by the Financial Times for percent of graduates employed at 3 months!
     Three new faculty members will begin teaching classes this month. Devin Shanthikumar, PhD, joins us from the Harvard Business School as assistant professor of Financial and Managerial Accounting.
Dr. John Turner, our new assistant professor of Operations and Decision Technologies, joins us from the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University, and Dr. Libby Weber from the Marshall School of Business joins us as assistant professor of Strategy.
     Along with our new faculty members, we are building strong programs - our undergraduate major continues to attract students with the highest GPA and SAT scores on campus. We are also expanding Executive Education and exploring the possibility of co-creating new masters programs with law, engineering and biology.
     As always, we invite your involvement, suggestions and feedback. We hope to hear from you and to see you at one of our many events.

 

Professor Vandell's Expertise Sought by White House
Last month, Kerry Vandell, dean's professor of Finance and director of the Merage School Center for Real Estate, flew to Washington D.C. to attend a conference on the future of housing finance. Called by President Barack Obama and hosted by Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner and HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan, the conference addressed national needs and planning for financial and housing mortgage policies.
       The conference began with a discussion on the future roles of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac following the subprime mortgage crisis and subsequent federal takeover and conservatorship of both entities by the U.S. Treasury in September 2008.

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Roundtable Features Congress Members Barney Frank and Loretta Sanchez

House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank led a roundtable discussion hosted by the Merage School on the UC Irvine campus in August. He was joined by Orange County's Loretta Sanchez (D-Garden Grove) and topics included the massive financial reform bill that he spearheaded and which was passed in June. According to Frank, the 2,300-page Dodd-Frank bill will control business models and investment instruments that led to the 2008 Wall Street meltdown and regulate non-banking businesses that fell outside of regulatory controls.

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to the Dean's Quarterly from The Paul Merage School of Business

Alumnus Takes Home the Emmy

Aaron J. Byzak, HCEMBA ‘08, and his coworker Erica Holloway each won two Emmy Awards: one for Writer - Short Form, and one for Public Service Announcement - Single Spot or Series for their work on the "Oxy Abuse Kills" public service announcement series. The director and editor for the PSAs also won an Emmy bringing the grand total to five for the project.
      The series was a project of the Oxy Task Force of San Diego County, a multi-faceted, multi-agency response to the rising problem of prescription drug abuse in San Diego, which Byzak helped to create and co-chair. Byzak was serving as Health Policy Advisor for the San Diego County Board of Supervisors at the time.
      In other news, Byzak was also recognized for the 40 Under 40 Award in the September issue of San Diego Metropolitan Magazine, where he was included on the 2010 Honor Roll and profiled with his photo on the cover of the September issue. Paying it Forward Pays Off for Recruitment

Thomas Antunez '05, senior vice president of Prithvi Percentix, Inc., has long been a Merage School advocate, most recently demonstrating his support for the School by hiring Sumit Deo '10, who joined Prithvi Percentix as a consultant in September.
      "I met Sumit during the summer of 2009 when I had the privilege of working

Sumit Deo

closely with him while volunteering as a coach for the Consulting Practicum course taught by Emile Pilafidis, a lecturer on strategy at the Merage School," said Antunez. "Sumit is a high performer with an intense intellect and strong motivation. While he will have a great deal to learn over the next 12 months, as much of the technology and methodologies we use will be new to him, the good news is that Merage School grads are well trained to deal with any type of business situation or environment. I have 100% confidence that he will perform at the highest levels in a short time."
      Prithvi Percentix currently employs three Merage School graduates including Antunez, FEMBA '05, Ed Abad, FEMBA '07, and now Sumit Deo, FTMBA '10.
      "As the economic conditions continue to improve, I will strive to fill more spots with Merage School grads. The Merage School talent pool is deep and I am serving Prithvi Percentix well with any new hire from that school," Antunez concluded.
What's In a (New School) Name?

Merage School and Dean's Leadership Circle Celebrate 5th Anniversary

Pelican Hill Resort was a beautiful backdrop for the 5th Anniversary Celebration of the Merage School naming and the establishment of the Dean's Leadership Circle. Overlooking the ocean in Newport Beach, more than 300 members and invited guests gathered.
      The star of the evening, Paul Merage, noted, "Some people see the world for what it is and despair; others see the world for what it could be and act. Strive for the latter." He shared with everyone how amazing it has been for him and his family to watch the success the Merage School has experienced over the past five years.

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EMBA's Tony Ruelas Sworn in as San Fernando's Police Chief

San Fernando's incoming police chief, Tony Ruelas, '10, was sworn in August 2 at the San Fernando City Hall Council Chambers in San Fernando. Ruelas is the second Merage School alumnus to take the helm of a police station in California. Timothy Jackman '99, was appointed chief of police for the Santa Monica police department in 2006.
      "This really serves as a testament to the EMBA program's leadership training, and we are proud of both Tony and Tim," said Marty Bell, director, Program Services, Executive and Health Care Executive MBA Programs at the Merage School.
      Ruelas was among the department's three lieutenants considered for the promotion. His priorities for the coming year will focus on a balanced budget, accountability and transparency, and operational efficiencies.
      "I was particularly impressed with Lieutenant Ruelas' can-do attitude and innovative proposals to address our shrinking city budget without compromising citizen safety," said San Fernando Mayor Mario Hernandez. "His talents and leadership skills will serve the department and city well."
      Ruelas commented, "I want to build upon the successful programs Chief Ordelheide laid into place and use this opportunity to make community members active participants in problem solving policing. Ultimately, my goal is to get ahead of and produce sustainable quality-of-life solutions for the San Fernando community."
      Chief Ruelas earned a bachelor's degree in economics from California State University, Bakersfield, prior to his MBA from The Paul Merage School of Business.

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