BUSINESS MATTERS
Summer 2024
THE NEWSLETTER OF DESALES UNIVERSITY DIVISION OF BUSINESS
A WORD FROM THE DEAN | by Christopher R Cocozza, CPA, JD, LL.M
It has been a while, but our newest edition of the Business Matters newsletter is here! I hope everyone has had a great start to summer! This edition highlights some of the many great accomplishments of our programs as we fulfill our mission to develop the next generation of professional and ethical business leaders. The naming of the new Kathleen Waterbury and J. B. Reilly School of Business will push us to even greater success as we move forward. Reflecting upon this past academic year, I can really appreciate how the alumni, faculty, staff, and friends of the WRSB have joined together to create an excellent learning environment for our students. The endless opportunities to participate in vast practical learning experiences truly sets
A TRANSFORMATIVE GIFT FROM KATHLEEN WATERBURY AND J.B. REILLY IS PAVING THE WAY FOR A NEW ERA OF EDUCATION AT DESALES UNIVERSITY. The gift, the largest in the University’s history, will help to establish the new Kathleen Waterbury and J.B. Reilly School of Business, slated to open in the upcoming 2024-2025 academic year. Kathleen is a current member of the University’s Board of Trustees, a position she has held since 2020. Her husband previously served as a Board member from 2002 to 2012. J.B. is also president and cofounder of City Center Group, a real estate development and management company based in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The Waterbury Reilly School of Business is part of a larger transition of DeSales’ academic structure from divisions to a four-college/school model. Under this new model, the University will also launch: • A College of Arts, Education, and Humanities, which will comprise a School of Education and a School of Performing Arts • A College of Sciences • A College of Healthcare Professions with a designated School of Nursing The change is a result of the University’s 2022-2025 Strategic Plan, Connecting to Our Future, which outlines avenues for future growth, advancing academic excellence, enhancing the student experience, and developing new external partnerships. our programs above and apart from our competitors - and we have you to thank. I sincerely appreciate your support over the past 24 years, 17 of which I have led our business programs. I am excited to lead the WRSB into this next chapter and I look forward to your continuing support. If you would like to become involved in any way including coming to campus, hosting our students, or offering internships and job opportunities please feel free to reach out to me. Please remember that my door is always open, and I invite you back to campus to see the great things that are going on. I hope you enjoy this edition of the Business Matters newsletter. Have a great summer!
DeSales University Announces New Kathleen Waterbury and J.B. Reilly School of Business
Kathleen Waterbury and J.B. Reilly
“As parents, we know that education has the power to change lives and communities. And as longtime members of the DeSales community, we know how important this University is to higher education in the Lehigh Valley and beyond. We are proud and excited to lay the foundation for the Reilly School of Business and to empower the next generation of business leaders to inspire innovation, promote ethical leadership, and advance corporate-community relationships.” ~ Kathleen Waterbury and J.B. Reilly
Business Matters • Summer 2024
1
Lutron Executive Brian Dunbar Offers Advice to Business Students
for almost 40 years. He called his coworkers a “deep bench of flexible people to do the work.” The work ethic at Lutron stems from the philosophy and spirit of Joel Spira, who invented the dimmer switch and founded Lutron in 1961. Spira was quoted as saying “good enough isn’t” and in illustrating how despite having an excellent product you have to sell it, “fried chicken doesn’t fly into your mouth.” Spira passed away in 2015. Asked by Craig about any significant changes or challenges, Dunbar spoke of the time when the U.S. government mandated the limited use of incandescent light bulbs in favor of compact fluorescent lamp bulbs that were incapable of dimming. The dimmer switch is Lutron’s signature line in both commercial and residential buildings. Lutron then had to shift its focus to retrofitting its products with already existing incandescent lighting. Because of the mercury content in CFL bulbs and the increased popularity of LED light bulbs (which can dim), General Electric stopped production of CFL bulbs in 2016. Giving advice to the students present, Dunbar said to take advantage of the Career Development Center and to above all be flexible because “your career may look different than what you think it is because you are most likely going to be taken in different directions.” Chris Cocozza, professor of business and head of the Division of Business, welcomed the audience to the event and Father James Greenfield, OSFS ’84, Ed.D., president of the University, offered an opening prayer. Following the forum, students and faculty were given the opportunity to mingle with Dunbar and the 10 Lutron managers from various departments, including sales, information technology, and human resources, who accompanied Dunbar to the event. The forum is named in honor of Scott Fainor, a 1994 finance and marketing alumnus and former Trustee of DeSales, who launched Fainor Holdings in 2019 following a distinguished career as a bank executive for 39 years. Fainor is a member of the Federal Advisory Council of The Federal Reserve Bank of Washington, D.C. He also served on various committees with The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia and PA Bankers Association throughout his banking career.
by Tom McNamara ’92, M’21
“KEEP YOURSELF UNCOMFORTABLE.”
So was the advice from Brian Dunbar, Vice President –General Manager of Global Services for Lutron Electronics Co., Inc., to a group of DeSales University students and faculty on Wednesday, March 20, in the Gambet Center Auditorium.
“If you are comfortable, you are not learning,” he clarified, referencing that during a person’s career he or she is often asked to do something unfamiliar. And that was the best time to learn. In Dunbar’s case, he was asked to open a manufacturing plant in Mexico— something he knew nothing about but learned over the course of a year. Dunbar, who oversees customer service, field service, and technical support centers in North America, China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, London, Mexico, the Middle East, and Singapore as well as all sales activities in East Asia, was on campus as the guest speaker at the Fainor Center for Financial Services’ Executive Forum. The forum features a conversation between a local executive and a member of the DeSales business faculty. Thomas Craig, Ph.D., associate professor and Edward A. McCabe Chair of Business and Society, posed questions to Dunbar about his career, significant challenges faced, and advice for graduating seniors. Dunbar, a 1988 Penn State electrical engineering graduate, was recruited by Lutron at a college career fair. “I was attracted to Lutron because they needed electrical engineers and that was exactly what I wanted to do—real engineering.” However, as Dunbar’s career progressed at Lutron he was asked to serve in a variety of roles, including procurement and other projects he did not want to do. Wondering if he should resign, Dunbar began to see these tasks as opportunities for learning and growth, commenting that he feels he is on a “36-year rotation program.” This constant challenge, as well as the excellent people with whom he works, has kept him at Lutron
(continued on page 6)
Business Matters • Summer 2024
2
WHEN CHATGPT WENT VIRAL OVER THE WINTER OF 2022-2023, BILLIONS OF PEOPLE WOKE UP TO THE REALITY OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE’S STRIKING ADVANCES, AND THE DESALES UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR DATA ANALYTICS AND APPLIED AI WAS READY FOR THE SURGE. Professors in business, math, and computer science had already developed and launched a minor and specialized tracks in these new technologies that are available for students across the University, including those in business, computer science, homeland security, life sciences, and healthcare majors. Our courses and programs were up and running, and our students knew what was going on before ChatGPT made headlines. And here we are today. Predictions about an AI- powered future range from utopian to apocalyptic, and there is no denying that AI is changing the world of professional knowledge work as we know it. Higher DSU Center for Data Analytics and Applied AI Welcomes the Revolution by Prof. Brennan Pursell, Director, PhD.
education has never in its history faced a tool that can produce output that seems to reflect human thought, analysis, and creativity, in text, computer code, spreadsheets, images, audio, and/or video formats Large Language Models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Co-Pilot, Llama, Claude, Mistral, and many others can now pass the SAT, GRE, legal, medical, and other advanced exams better than most humans. And yet there is no mind behind any of them. They do not know what they are doing. They cannot second- guess themselves, and sometimes they get things very wrong. People need to manage them. These systems can enhance human productivity, but they must be governed. For successful careers in this new era, DeSales students need to understand AI tools, what they can do, and what they cannot. They need to cut through the hype with critical, experiential learning and assessment, all of which are provided by our Center for Data Analytics and Applied AI and academic programs. For more information about the Center and our programs, courses, and activities, please see www.desales.edu/CDA. Everyone is welcome!
Sport Management Society visits MLB Headquarters in New York City
us was unforgettable and is something we are going to use for the rest of our careers. Not only did they provide us with details about the challenges of effectively managing such a large and complex organization, but they also gave us specific examples from their professional experience. For example, we learned about the data and
by Ryan Rieber ’23, M’24
IN JANUARY 2023, THE DESALES SPORT MANAGEMENT SOCIETY WENT ON THE ROAD TO VISIT THE HEADQUARTERS OF MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL IN NEW YORK CITY. The trip provided a great opportunity for students to gain valuable insights about day-to-day operations of this historic professional sports league, and career advice from professionals working at many levels of the organization. We were hosted by DeSales alumna Carly Benjamin ‘19, who is now the Senior Coordinator, Ticketing at Major League Baseball. Upon our arrival we met with Carly, Mike Luteran (Vice President, Ticketing), and Veronica Idoate (Senior Manager, Player Engagement & Relations), who described their roles and responsibilities within the MLB. The knowledge and advice we gained from them and many other speakers who spent time with
information that goes into planning and executing a promotion for a baseball game. We also were told how MLB works with players to help them market themselves through various media channels. To wrap up the trip, we were given a tour of the headquarters. This visit to MLB was an awesome experience for DeSales’ Sport Management students as we were able to get real life advice from professionals who are succeeding in the sport industry. We are grateful to Carly and everyone at MLB for making this an unforgettable day.
Business Matters • Summer 2024
3
DO SOME EFFORTS TO ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE ACTUALLY DO MORE HARM THAN GOOD? CAN WE BUILD A CLEAN ENERGY FUTURE WITHOUT DAMAGING THE EARTH’S FRAGILE ECOSYSTEM? ARE ELECTRIC VEHICLES GOOD OR BAD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT? Fleming Ethics Bowl – Challenging Students to Do the Right Thing by Dr. Thomas Craig Northwestern Lehigh High School – 2023 Ethics Bowl 1st Place Team: Linda Paist (advisor), Kayla Schwarz, Claire Krivenko, Emily Chukoskie, Jessica Boyle
These important questions were the focus of the 6th annual Fleming High School Ethics Bowl held at the DeSales University Center in November 2023. Ten teams from local high schools – Building 21, Easton, Liberty, Norristown, Northampton, Northwestern Lehigh, Palisades, Parkland, Southern Lehigh, and Upper Perkiomen – participated in this fun and exciting full-day case competition. After checking in and enjoying a hearty breakfast during the opening ceremony, the teams made their way to the first-round presentation rooms to meet their three-judge panels of corporate executives and community leaders. Acting as advisors to the board of directors of the fictional company Evergreen Mining Corporation (a supplier of cobalt to the electric vehicle industry), the teams explained their recommended solutions to the environmental dilemma faced by the firm and responded to questions from the judges. During the lunch break the judges convened to choose the first-round winners, while Father James Greenfield, OSFS ’84, president of DeSales, provided an inspirational message on the critical need for ethical leadership. Four finalist teams – from Easton, Liberty, Norristown, and Northwestern Lehigh – were selected to advance to the afternoon round which included new information for the case (“the twist”). These teams then regrouped to evaluate the twist, and presented their updated recommendations to the full panel of twelve judges. As the afternoon sessions ended, the tension and excitement grew as the teams waited for the final results. After a period of careful and intense deliberation, the Northwestern Lehigh team was selected as the first place winner, followed by Liberty (2nd place), Easton (3rd place), and Norristown (4th place). Each finalist
team received a commemorative trophy for their school and a one-time scholarship award to be split evenly among the teammates. The top three teams also received additional academic tuition scholarships to DeSales. All students in the competition received certificates, 2023 Ethics Bowl shirts, and personalized mementos for their participation. We wish all participants in this year’s Ethics Bowl great success in their academic and professional careers, as they continue to “do the right thing!” (the slogan emblazoned on the Ethics Bowl shirts). Richard Fleming and his family foundation, the Fleming Institute for Business Ethics at DeSales University, was established during the 2009-2010 academic year. The institute aims to create a meaningful ethical dialogue between academia and business, and to provide educational opportunities for students to become ethical business leaders. DeSales University and the Division of Business are grateful for the support of the Fleming family, our esteemed judges, and everyone who helped to make the 2023 Ethics Bowl a success. We’re looking forward to another great competition in November 2024! Moreover, our years of collaborative case writing have advanced to the point where we have begun to publish select cases in the collection for purchase and use by other institutions. The authors identified The Case Centre of London as the appropriate platform for publication, and we have since published several cases on subjects ranging from medicine to self-driving vehicles to sports, with more in the pipeline. The DeSales cases can be found at the website of The Case Centre (www.thecasecentre.org). For more information on the annual Fleming Ethics Bowl, please contact Dr. Thomas Craig (thomas.craig@ desales.edu).
Business Matters • Summer 2024
4
French Connection: Foundations of Strategy Class Travels to Paris and Lyon by Thomas D. Craig, Ph.D.
A new course launched in Fall 2023 provided my students and me with a great opportunity to meet and collaborate with business students from around the world, travel to France, and study the challenges of managing multinational enterprises. In August, I began co-teaching the “Foundations of Strategy” course with two professors from the ESDES Business School at Lyon Catholic University. ESDES courses are taught in English, which made setting up and teaching the course much easier. Our class of fifteen DeSales students and seventeen ESDES students live-streamed each weekly session, and we covered a broad range of topics including mission development, environmental analysis, strategy formulation and implementation, and management of global value chains. Combined teams of DSU and ESDES students, formed at the beginning of the semester, were also tasked with analyzing one of seven prominent Lyon-based French firms for a semester-long research project. Each weekly session began (at 8 am Center Valley time, 2 pm Lyon time) with an opening discussion on a core topic of strategic management. Following the lecture, students connected with their teams in online video chatrooms for 45 minutes to work on a related assignment. After the breakout period the entire class regrouped, and several teams presented their analyses and recommended solutions. A wrap- up discussion, preview of the following week’s topic, and “au revoir” ended each session. From each lecture and assignment, the students gained new knowledge and teamwork skills which they would ultimately use to develop a comprehensive strategic analysis of their assigned French firms. And with each passing week, the excitement of traveling to Paris and Lyon and meeting our fellow classmates and professors from ESDES grew. On Friday October 6th we departed the Gambet Center and our journey to France began. Flying overnight from Newark we arrived in Paris around noon on Saturday and spent several days seeing the sights and soaking up the French culture and cuisine. Visits to the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, Sainte-Chapelle, and the Basilique du Sacre-Coeur were just some of the many favorites. Another highlight was a visit to the BUILDING GLOBAL CONNECTIONS AND EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING ARE ESSENTIAL COMPONENTS OF ALL BUSINESS DEGREES AT DESALES UNIVERSITY.
Paris office of the Lutron Electronics Corporation and a discussion on global business and careers by Thierry Forin, Lutron’s Director of Sales for Continental Europe and Africa. Merci, Thierry! On Tuesday we boarded a high-speed bullet train at Gare de Lyon station in Paris for the two-hour trip through the French countryside to Lyon. As we arrived, we got our first glimpse of the ESDES Business School and Lyon Catholic University – a modern glass and steel complex that surrounds a now-defunct prison built in the mid-1800s. After checking in at our stylish retro hotel, the students ventured off in groups to explore Lyon and meet up with some of their ESDES classmates, while I met the ESDES program directors and instructors for dinner. For the next two days we worked and bonded with our ESDES classmates and instructors both in and out of school. And all too soon, it was time to board the train back to Paris for our final night (in a Star Wars themed hotel) before flying home. After the trip, the remainder of the semester seemed to flash by very quickly as the student teams (now with even stronger bonds of collaboration and friendship) finalized their projects and presentations and took the final exam. It is difficult to describe the truly amazing time I had working and traveling with my wonderful students, but one thing is certain: even though our class ended in December the memories of this experience will last a lifetime!
Business Matters • Summer 2024
5
Healthcare Administration Club Wins National Award
by Dr. Karen Kent
THE DESALES HEALTHCARE ADMINISTRATION CLUB, LED BY PRESIDENT BRENDA COLANGELO AND ADVISOR DR. KAREN KENT, RECEIVED NATIONAL RECOGNITION FROM THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF HEALTHCARE EXECUTIVES AT THE ACHE CONGRESS IN MARCH 2023 IN CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.
The club was presented with the Health Executives Network Award for the program’s connection with healthcare executives in our area. DeSales was nominated by Michael George, Eastern Pennsylvania ACHE Regent and Allentown College graduate. Dr. Kent received the award on behalf of the student organization. The club is open to all healthcare majors and alumni at DeSales, including traditional day, adult studies, and MBA/graduate students. With over 40 members, the club holds monthly meetings during which national and regional healthcare leaders are invited to connect with students, offer career guidance, and discuss trends and challenges in their industry. In addition, the club organizes field trips to local facilities including the LVHN Center for Healthcare Education, the LVHN Disaster Command Center, and the Cetronia Ambulance Corps. A fall social at the DeSales University Center is one of the major kickoff events to start each academic year. If you are interested in coming to our events or would like to present to our community, please contact Dr. Kent at Karen.Kent@desales.edu.
Dr. Karen Kent receives the 2023 Higher Education Network Award from Michael George ’87, Regent of Eastern PA ACHE
(Continued from page 2: Lutron Executive Brian Dunbar Offers Advice to Business Students)
The Fainor Executive Forum, established in 2022, honors executives in the business community and provides a showcase for the Division of Business’s activities and future leaders.
Business Matters • Summer 2024
6
President Jim Greenfield, OSFS ’84 joined Chris Cocozza, Jerry Joyce, Patterson Ford and business students Hannah McDonnell, Mary Frances McNulty, Andrew Saglimbeni, and Tyler Seidel at the Union League in Philadelphia to honor and thank VIP business alumni from the Philadelphia region. Among the special guests were Eric Bloesch ‘94, Gail and John Dalton ‘85, Concetta and Francis Meehan ‘77, Nicholas Moriello ‘96, Mark Watermasysk ‘00, and Rev. Dr. Binu Edathumparambil, MSFS, Principal of St. Francis DeSales College in Bengaluru, India. OUR ALUMNI ARE NOT JUST GRADUATES; THEY ARE AN INTEGRAL PART OF OUR COMMUNITY AND THE DESALES FAMILY. THROUGH THEIR GENEROSITY AND ENGAGEMENT, THEY STRENGTHEN OUR NETWORK OF SUCCESS. WE ARE HAPPY TO FOSTER THESE EVERLASTING RELATIONSHIPS! A Night at the Philadelphia Union League
Division of Business Faculty Activities Dr. Tahereh Alavi Hojjat co-authored a paper entitled “Financial Inclusion and Poverty Reduction: An Analysis of Panel Data 2010-2019” which was published in the Journal of Economics and Public Finance. Dr. Hojjat also participated in a panel discussion “Pay and Gender Inequality” at the Lehigh Valley Business Council Women’s
Conference, and presented her paper “Iran in 2023: Volatile Economy and Human Sufferings” at the Woman, Life, Freedom: A Global Gender Protest conference held at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Susan Givens-Skeaton has been providing consulting services to global firms in the region on establishing and maintaining DEI initiatives, and presented “Building Your Intercultural Competence” at the April 2023 DeSales MBA Power Breakfast. Dr. Thomas Craig presented a research paper, “The Technological Impact of Patent Classes: Innovation Trajectories of Firms and Locations”, at the NABET Conference in State College, PA. The paper has been published in the J ournal of Business, Economics and Technology.
Business Matters • Summer 2024
7
The Gambet Center for Business & Healthcare 2755 Station Avenue
Center Valley, PA 18034-9568 Address Service Requested
Business Matters • Summer 2024
8
Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs