Michael Pellegrini Finds Success at State Farm

Michael Pellegrini, a senior business administration major, recently accepted a position with State Farm as a field claim representative.  Pellegrini first came in contact with State Farm at last year’s Internship Fair at PLU.  He left the representative with a resume and was called back for an interview shortly after.  State Farm offered him an internship two weeks later.

Pellegrini’s internship was a paid 10-week program that consisted of the research and development of a new workflow process and phone strategy in the claims department.  Throughout the ten weeks, Pellegrini had the opportunity to meet team managers, claim representatives, department managers and numerous other individuals who contributed to his study.  He concluded his internship with a report on implementation strategies that could correct inefficiencies that he discovered throughout the course of his study. 

Overall, Pellegrini says his internship was a success.  His hard work was acknowledged with a bonus, along with encouragement from current employees to apply for a permanent position within State Farm. 

Pellegrini applied for a field claim representative job in Tacoma at the conclusion of his internship.  Field claim representative, a very competitive position, often requires previous experience and knowledge, but with Pellegrini’s internship experience, team managers and employees felt that he was the best candidate.  Pellegrini was able to negotiate a part time job this fall while he completes his final semester of school and his last season of football for PLU.  He will start full time after the first of the year.  Pellegrini’s position often leads to management roles within the company. 

“It has been a great experience.  Thanks to PLU and the opportunities presented to me, and to State Farm for providing such growth opportunities.”   

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News

McNabb Publishes Book on Knowledge Management

David E. McNabb, professor in the School of Business, has written a book that is one of the first to focus on knowledge management techniques in government agencies.  Knowledge Management in the Public Sector, published by M.E. Sharpe Inc., is an instructive book that leads readers through knowledge management techniques in easy to read steps, models, and illustrations. McNabb explains the ideas of collecting, categorizing, and processing of data in government and non-profit agencies. The book is available through the publisher online at www.mesharpe.com.

The Executive Leadership Series Kicks Off

The MBA Executive Leadership Series kicked off September 27th featuring Marshall Witt (pictured left), Vice President – Controller of FedEx.  Witt made his presentation entitled “Managing Reputation Risk,” to MBA students, faculty and alumni.  Witt focused on how FedEx has grown their reputation and how they are maintaining it in a highly competitive services industry.

Sheri Flies (pictured right), Corporate Counsel for Costco, continued the series on October 10^th speaking about corporate responsibility and Costco's active role in creating positive and sustainable business practices.

The next speaker will be Brad Tiden, Executive VP/ Finance & CFO for Alaska Airlines. He will be speaking on November 8^th from 6-7p.m.

Click here for information about the remaining MBA Executive Leadership Series speakers.

School of Business launches a 16-Month MBA-TIM

Starting summer 2007 the School of Business will offer a specialized program for international students who want to earn an MBA with an emphasis in Technology & Innovation Management at PLU.  This program is designed as a 16-month accelerated program and will act as a pilot for a potential full-time MBA program at PLU. The program is 48 credit hours and runs from May 2007-August 2008.
The School of Business Director of Graduate Studies, Abby Wigstrom-Carlson will be traveling to China at the end of October to recruit the first cohort of students. She will be visiting Shanghai, Beijing, and Chengdu in China as well as Hong Kong.

Two Faculty Earn Fulbright Senior Specialist Roster Candidate Honors

School of Business professors Dave McNabb (pictured top left) and Fred Wolfe (pictured bottom left) have received the honor of being selected as Fulbright Senior Specialist Roster Candidates by the Fulbright Scholar Program.  Being a candidate makes them eligible to be matched with projects proposed by host institutions around the world. Projects may include conducting research, participating in academic programs and conferences, consulting, leading seminars, developing curricula or taking part in teacher training programs. All projects are approved by the US Embassy or Fulbright Commission and the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State.
Associate professor Fred Wolf was first selected in 2003 and was assigned to  a thirty-day assignment in Thailand but was unable to attend. After resubmitting his application for renewal in 2005, he was selected for second term and is currently awaiting a project. McNabb was selected as a candidate this fall and will remain on the roster for five years.

Carol Ptak: Keynote Speaker at New York Conference

Carol Ptak, School of Business Professor, was the a keynote speaker at the WNY’s 7^th Annual Supply Chain Management Conference.  The conference, held on October 18^th, 2006 at the Holiday Inn in Grand Island, NY, was sponsored by Association for Operations Management (APICS), American Society for Quality (ASQ), National Association of Purchasing Management – Buffalo (NAPM-B), and the Niagara University Center for Supply Chain Excellence (NCSCE). The theme of the conference was "Supply Chain Issues in a Global Economy-Are you controlling your costs?" She addressed the topic of success in the global supply chain.

PLUS Business Alumni Association Gets a New Name

Too often, prospective members of the PLU School of Business alumni association asked us, “What is PLUS Business?” It was evident that the organization, beginning with the name, did not clearly illustrate the value it offered its members.
So, in an effort to better serve our current and future members, the association’s Board of Directors approved a new name: PLU Business Network.
This new name allows us to focus on what we do best, keep School of Business alumni in touch with each other. Our mission, keeping the School of Business connected for lifelong learning and opportunity, speaks to exactly what we offer – a business network for Pacific Lutheran University.
The PLU Business Network is the official alumni association of the PLU School of Business. Annual membership fees are only $40.00 for alumni, faculty and staff, and $10.00 for students. You can join by visiting www.plu.edu/mba/plus.