Dean Andy Policano
In Perspective
Even though 2013 has just begun, we have already generated a lot of excitement at the Merage School. On January 9th, we broke ground on our new Building for the Future, and I can't tell you how thrilling it was to see so many supporters join us for that monumental event. Our new building will help us to add even more value to the campus, our program offerings, recruiting efforts, and everyone in the business community. The groundbreaking was a culmination of seven years of planning, and we look forward to seeing our dream turn into a reality over the next two years. Thank you to all who attended and have supported this effort in so many ways over the past several years.
In just a few days, the Irvine Chamber will host the Business Outlook Breakfast, and I am honored to share the stage this year with Marci Rossell, PhD, former chief economist for CNBC and groundbreaking financial journalist. They are expecting nearly 800 attendees, and seats may still be available. Visit the Chamber's website at irvinechamber.com for more information.
Assembly Member Don Wagner presents Chancellor Michael Drake and Dean Andy Policano with a certificate of recognition.
The official groundbreaking event, held on January 9, 2013 for the new Building for the Future at the Merage School, was an overwhelming success. Guests spilled out from the tented area near the current building and filled the surrounding walkways as they celebrated the realization of a dream and more than seven years of hard work.
With drinks in hand, more than 500 guests participated in a groundbreaking toast led by Merage School Dean Andy Policano.
"It has been seven years in the planning and hoping and crossing our fingers, but we're finally here," commented Policano. "And it is all because of many of the people here today that this building is finally becoming a reality."
Policano welcomed several VIP guests including the Merage School namesake, Paul Merage, and Chancellor of the UC Irvine Campus, Dr. Michael Drake.
Opening with a Broadway-worthy stage show by the News Boys from Disney California Adventure, George Kalogridis, President of the Disneyland Resort, gave a Distinguished Speaker Series presentation only Disney could do. And the audience was all ears, literally.
With nearly 600 guests in attendance, Kalogridis shared five lessons his organization seeks to engender into each and every "cast member" that belongs to the Disney family. The lessons were organized into ‘chapters,' which exemplifies the strong emphasis that Disney places on story-telling in every aspect of its business.
Lesson 1 – Listen Intently
Kalogridis illustrated the first lesson in Chapter 1 of his presentation by telling the story of how Disney California Adventure was renovated. He explained how the newest park had originally "missed the mark," according to the feedback they had received from visitors. He pointed out how his team sought to create a destination that would draw you in and make you part of the action.
BusinessWeek 2012 Business Schools Ranking report puts the Merage School's Full-Time MBA program at 43rd among business schools in the U.S. In addition, the Merage School is in the top 5 in the U.S. for job offers accepted within 90 days of graduation, and 14th in the nation for intellectual capital, as measured by the number of articles published by each school's faculty in 20 publications that range from the Journal of Accounting Research to the Harvard Business Review.
Register today for the January 25, 2013 Irvine Business Outlook event hosted by the Irvine Chamber of Commerce in partnership with The Paul Merage School of Business. Join more than 800 executives who will gather to learn about cutting-edge and up-to-date economic information to help plan their company's year.
The Merage School Student Managed Investment Fund (SMIF) team, made up primarily of undergraduate seniors from the Merage School's first graduating class, took first place in the 2012 Chartered Financial Analyst Society of Orange County's (CFAOC) annual Portfolio Management Competition.
John Turner, assistant professor of Operations and Decision Technologies at The Paul Merage School of Business, has been awarded a 2012 Yahoo! Faculty Research Grant for studying computational issues that arise in advertising planning problems.
January 24, 2013
Dr. Nick van Terheyden, chief medical information officer at Nuance Communications, will moderate a panel of healthcare thought leaders and industry experts.
January 25, 2013
Economic forecast with Dean Andy Policano and Marci Rossell expected to draw more than 800 people.
January 30, 2013
Alan Pellegrini - President & CEO, Thales USA.
February 21-22, 2013
Registration Open - Conference to cover Health Politics and Policies in President Obama's Second Term.
More News and Views
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- Recruiting Underway for New Master of Professional Accountancy Program
- Center for Health Care Management and Policy Explores Life After the Election
- The Evolving Housing Market and Trends
- Center for Investment and Wealth Management Launches Wealth Management Journal
- Student Assignment Gains International Exposure
- Lost In Translation: one student's view of study abroad
- Long Institute Launches New Lecture Series
- Alumni Business Tops the Charts in Web Traffic
- Retired Professor Takes Economics to the Masses
- Merage on the Move
- Robert Haugen, acclaimed financial economist, dies at 70
Mark Your Calendar
For all upcoming events visit: merage.uci.edu/go/calendar
