Articles by MBA Association

The MBAA is the representative student government for both classes of current MBA students at Penn State. We have 9 officers including the President, VP of Communications, VP of Recruitment, VP of Corporate Relations, VP of Finance, VP of International Affairs, VP of Marketing, VP of Academic Affairs & Student Relations, and the VP of Philanthropy.

What Woman Want: Mission Paraguay

July 27, 2009 in Career by MBA Association | No comments

Summer Series – Kimberly Clark, Paraguay

For the last 2 months I’ve been immersed in the jungles of Paraguay (both urban and rural) trying to unveil and understand the mystery that is woman.  I am on a quest to understand how women decide among products that are so intimate, so personal, and vital for her confidence self esteem and even health – and why isn’t this process even more complex? This is my job as an MBA Intern in Kimberly-Clark Paraguay, responsible for the general management of the FEM category products.

Now you would think this would be a hard task for a GUY that was raised in copper mines and who sold mining trucks for three years… but it hasn’t, thanks to the transportability of the concepts learned in the program and how they empower us with a great set of tools to leverage. Though during our first year at times I came to question the practicality in the approach of some of the courses, I’ve quickly become to realize how necessary this MACRO view really is, especially when connecting dots and presenting to upper management. I’ve also realize how everything makes sense and how easy it has been to integrate all functional areas, once we start applying what we’ve learned. On August 21st, I’m representing our branch (Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay) in the annual Interns’ Speech Series presided by Tom Falk (KC’s CEO), on which I present the results of our project and its impact on sales. This generally determines who gets an offer and a special bonus as best speaker, so I’ll do my best to represent the “Smealers” and its marketers.

I’m deeply thankful for this experience and for what I have learned during our first year. I can’t wait to go back and continue to grow. I hope to see you all in a couple of weeks in what I’m sure will be a great Second Year… Hasta la vista!

 

Phillip Jarpa
President, Marketing Association

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Excited Evan’s Expedition to Shanghai

July 17, 2009 in Career by MBA Association | No comments

Summer Series – eChinaChem

Ni hao! Greetings from Shanghai, China. I am fairly sure I win the “where would you rather be” award, or at least tie with Jon and Hector (classmates who are in Shanghai with me!) I work for eChinaChem, a 100 person company that focuses on end to end solutions in assisting global companies buy chemicals from Chinese manufacturers. We also have a second product, eChinaBio, which is a little less developed and needs some serious work. Our CEO, who happens to me my boss, has put me in charge of the project. The project turned out to be creating the eChinaBio strategy, and making changes to both our services and products. One year at Smeal certainly teaches you a lot, as I feel like I really do have a grasp on the business as a whole. Still, it’s quite the endeavor being able to mold products and services over a summer.

Other than working hard, we are really getting to explore the city. We have met some really awesome people here who will be friends for life, and I think all three of us will certainly explore the option of coming back here after graduation (so if you have connections, hook me up!). Zai jian,

- Evan Weiss

Class of 2010

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J&J + Cincinnati = Happy Hoover

July 7, 2009 in Career by MBA Association | No comments

Summer Series – Johnson and Johnson

Heeeeeeeelllllllllooooooo from Cincinnati! I’m currently spending my summer rocking out at Ethicon Endo-Surgery here in Ohio. The Johnson and Johnson EES business unit creates, markets, and sells medical devices for minimally evasive surgery. As a supply chain specialist, I’ve been working with suppliers, warehouse logistic managers, and transportation carriers in order to reduce the amount of product expedited (air freighted) from the suppliers to our warehousing facilities. Not only have I been plugging away at my project, but I’ve also met with Chief Procurement Officers, Vice Presidents, and Presidents of various departments in one-on-one meetings. Can you believe that they’ve already flown me to New Jersey for a three day trip? Seriously, how can you lose?

As a hardcore Steelers fan, I did have some initial doubts about moving into Bengals Country (not to mention the home of many Ohio State fans). However, I’ve already watched a Reds game from a luxury box, knocked the stuffing out a few softballs in our company softball league, spent more than a few evenings in Mount Adams (a social haven for young professionals), plan to tear it up on the golf course this Thursday, and hope to visit either the Zoo, Aquarium, or King’s Island Theme park before I leave. Woo Woo Woo.

Catch you on the flip side, my friends.

- Dave Hoover

VP of Recruitment, MBAA

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Interning @Chase Card Services

July 6, 2009 in Career by MBA Association | No comments

Summer Series – Chase Card Services

 

This blog is brought to you direct from Wilmington, Delaware. That’s right, Delaware – home of tax free shopping and Chase Card Services (among a few other things). Gonzalo and I are down in Wilmington working in the Marketing Division of Chase Card Services. I’m working in the High Net Worth BU with a focus on Branding, Advertising, and Media, and I’m having a great time seeing how things work in a large corporate setting.

 

So far I’ve helped design a micro-site, attended usability testing, shared a phone call with Dreamworks, met two division presidents, and my team even won an arcade night at Dave & Busters! Coming up I will attend a wine tasting, participate in a P&L Case Study, volunteer at a local charity, meet the CEO of Chase Cards, present my findings on Social Media and Branding, and attend a Blue Rocks Baseball game.

 

Remember to have fun during your summer internship everyone – use local events to network with people at your location! (I’m not attending a wine tasting by myself, ha!) Get some sun, relax, and I’ll see you entirely too soon again this fall.

 

- Christy Conley

VP of Communications, MBAA

 

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Smeal Movie Night

November 12, 2008 in Uncategorized by MBA Association

The Smeal movie night presented a nice break from the normal day to day hectic schedule. It started at 7pm in one of the MBA Classrooms. We were lucky to have Ram Kasamani (the VP of International Affairs for our class) planning the evening, because when I arrived I found out that he had picked up one of those large ‘movie theater’ popcorn popping machines. I love the popcorn that you get at movie theaters and it made the movie night seem more authentic. The movie that was viewing for the Smeal Movie Night was City of God (or as the title is officially pronounced in Portuguese, Cidade de Deus), a story about two boys growing up in Rio de Janeiro. The story follows the trial and tribulation of two boys as they grow older, with one becoming a Photographer and the other a Drug Dealer. I am really glad that I showed up to watch the movie because it wasn’t a title I would have selected on my own, but it turned out to be a movie that I felt was a pretty riveting story and I’m glad I was introduced to the subject. I also felt it was nice to get a chance to converse with both first and second year classes where we didn’t have to talk about school work! All and all, the evening was a fun and relaxing break from the strenuous life of an MBA student.

-Dave Noreen, dan171@psu.edu

Dave Noreen is the VP of Recruitment for the Smeal MBA Association

Corporate Sponsors Help Out with MBAA Tailgates

November 3, 2008 in Uncategorized by MBA Association

Several corporate sponsors have stepped up to host tailgates with the MBAA this year. By contributing funding and representatives to the tailgates, corporate sponsors are able to gain terrific access to the Smeal MBA student community while enjoying the best football tailgating in the country. Beyond networking at the tailgates, the companies are also featured during a “Coffee Buzz” on the Thursday before game day and given the opportunity to host formal information sessions, 1×1 student interactions, Happy Hours, etc. in the days leading up to the game. Students have really appreciated the corporate sponsorships so far this season as we are able to interact with company representatives (including many Smeal alums) and learn more about the companies in a relaxed and fun setting. In addition to working with the MBAA officers to organize tailgate sponsorship meetings, the companies are paired with another MBA association in order to best coordinate logistics for the Saturday events. We look forward to having more companies team up with the MBAA to sponsor upcoming tailgates, and send a huge “thank you” to those companies who have sponsored games so far this season:

PNC Bank – Sept. 6th vs. Oregon State with Net Impact

M&T Bank – Sept. 20th vs. Temple with the Women’s MBA Association

Air Products – Sept. 27th vs. Illinois with the Finance Association

Dell – Oct. 18th vs. Michigan with the Supply Chain Association

-Jenny Moerschbacher, jdm444@psu.edu

MBA Class of 2009

Prior to coming to Smeal, Jenny was an Operations Manager in Phoenix, Arizona for a large private label food company. Jenny earned a B.A. in Engineering Policy from Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania. Her areas of concentration include Strategic Leadership, Supply Chain Management, and Product & Market Development.

Cricket: An American Perspective

October 31, 2008 in Sports by MBA Association

Cricket: the smell of the pitch, the beauty of an expertly bowled spinner, the crack of ball against bat, and the cheers of the team when a six has been hit. Indeed, there is not a more pleasant way to spend a blustery fall day in State College.

Alright, I admit it, I’m an American. I have no idea what I’m really talking about.

But that didn’t stop me from trying to learn when, on Friday, October 24th, some of our classmates from India held an informal “Cricket Clinic” to teach everyone what we were missing. The day started with a presentation that went over the rules (I’m still fuzzy on the concept of overs), bowling techniques (my poor shoulder will never be the same), and batting and fielding (just like baseball, right?). We even had the opportunity to watch some video clips of normal and unusual outs, skilled bowling, and famous catches. I still can’t believe the fielders catch the ball bare handed – that’s just insane!

Of course, you can’t just sit through a presentation and watch some video clips to get a feel for the game – the best way to learn cricket is, of course, to play it! So for the next two hours that’s exactly what we did. We didn’t have an official pitch and we used tennis balls instead of a cricket ball, but regardless of the trappings we still had a lot of fun and everyone got the opportunity to bowl, bat, and field. It was a cold day too, but after about an hour a group of undergraduate business students brought us hot apple cider as part of a class project. That’s the kind of class project I can definitely get behind.

As for myself, I think with just a little more practice I might be able to actually hit the ball before it skips past my bat, but I assure you that no amount of bowling practice will ever allow me to consistently hit the wickets. Still, I truly enjoyed the event and the game, and while I don’t foresee going to any matches in the near future, I can at least say that I’ve wielded a cricket bat, bowled an out or two, and hit a few sixes. Which is a lot more than most from the U.S. can boast.

Mike Waldhier
Smeal MBA Class of 2009
mxw52@psu.edu

Mike is originally from Chicago, where he never played cricket. Primarily concentrating on Supply Chain Management, Finance, and Strategic Leadership, he is aiming for a career in strategy consulting.

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Smeal Philanthropy Aids Local NPR Affiliate

October 31, 2008 in Philanthropy by MBA Association

On October 24 and 26, 2008, Smeal MBA students volunteered their time to assist public radio station WPSU with its fall fund drive. WPSU is a listener-supported NPR station serving central and northwestern Pennsylvania. Between answering calls from new and renewing members of the station’s listenership, students listened to public radio, snacked, and chatted.

“The afternoon at WPSU gave us the chance to mingle with fellow students in a non-academic setting while giving back to the community,” says Chris LoRusso, class of 2010.

“I look forward to volunteering again in the future.”

“I was impressed with the support from within the Smeal community,”

says Andrew Helicher, class of 2010.

A member of our Career Services team phoned in a generous donation during our shift! Smeal’s relationship with WPSU is ongoing, and there will be plenty of opportunities for current and future classes to participate in membership drives and other philanthropic initiatives at the station.

Mary Gorman

Smeal MBA Class of 2009

mary@psu.edu

Mary Gorman is a second year MBA candidate studying Corporate Financial Analysis and Planning and Supply Chain Management. She has experience in startups in biotechnology and fashion industry

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MBAA Cricket Clinic & Tournament – Oct 24, 2008

October 31, 2008 in Mock Interviews, Sports by MBA Association

Cricket clinic!!

Cricket is a religion in India and 15 out of 104 first year MBA students are from India. MBAA hosted a cricket clinic and a friendly cricket tournament to help us share our passion for cricket with other MBA students. What better way to interact with the fellow MBA students outside the classroom than over a friendly game of cricket on a nice fall day.

On October 24, 2008, Varun Abraham, first year MBA student, taught the basics of the game to the audience in a classroom. The visuals supported by “Youtube” clips helped clarify basic rules and concepts of the game. After the presentation and yummy lunch, Rolly Polly sandwiches, we headed to the lawn outside the Business Building to put into practice what Varun taught us. Though I grew up in India and watched cricket for years, I have never played cricket. It wasn’t’ as easy as it looked on Youtube. For one, the bat was really heavy for a tiny girl like me!! I tried my hand at bowling too and it was a disaster. The ball barely reached half way through the pitch. I pity the batsmen!!

Overall, the cricket clinic was a wonderful experience. We shared our passion for cricket with our classmates and got to interact with them in a more informal setting.

Minaz Mavany

Smeal MBA Class of 2010

mym118@psu.edu

Minaz is originally from India and has a background in finance. She plans to pursue a career in corporate finance and has prior work experience with JPMorgan.

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Honor Code Expansion to Career Services Luncheon

October 30, 2008 in Presentations, Roundtables by MBA Association

Because each student signs the Honor Code during Orientation, everyone is expected to comply with all aspects of the process to ensure that the Code is a living document that we all abide by. There have been news reports of students at other MBA programs engaged in conduct that reflects on the brand of the entire program. As such, students here at Smeal have decided to take action into their own hands and want to expand the Honor Code to cover more than academics.

On Tuesday, October 29, students came together to discuss expanding our current Honor Code to encompass Career Services and one’s internship and job search. A lively discussion took place with students debating the extend to which the Honor Code should be expanded to Career Services, what type of actions would be deemed violations and how soon this effort should be initiated. Students also raised concerns around ensuring that companies understand their role and engage in ethical recruiting practices as well. As the VP of Academic Affairs and Student Relations for the MBAA, it was refreshing for me to see so many students dedicated and involved in the process and ready to take ownership of the Honor Code.

Faculty, administration and staff from the program also attended the luncheon to show their support. The MBA Career Services team and the MBA administration supports the Honor Code in the Smeal College of Business and are willing to assist in any way possible to have the Honor Code umbrella over Career Services. Having this bottom up approach to expanding the Honor Code rather than a top down effort is refreshing as a student in the program. I really feel like we have ownership in this endeavor and I look forward to seeing where else the Honor Code expands for Smeal students.

-Tai Parks, tdp151@psu.edu

Tai is a second year student in the MBA program concentrating in Supply Chain Management , Product and Market Development and Strategic Leadership. She is a native of Philadelphia and a huge sports fan

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