FORWARD" - Naveen Jindal School of Management
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VOLUME 25 No. 2 SPRING 2022
«M
OV I N G FORWAR
D»
MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN
I
am happy to report that The Jindal School’s UTDsolv Capstone Senior Project is a program
after a couple tumultu- in which all seniors participate in solving real-life problems by work-
ous years of pandemic, ing with businesses and nonprofit organizations. In the previous two
our School has transitioned to semesters (spring and fall 2021), 1,634 students participated in 122
normal operations this spring. projects. Many leading corporations such as the Dallas Mavericks,
In a sign of normalcy our park- Google Cloud and Quest Diagnostics provided projects for UTDsolv.
ing lots are getting full again. One project we did recently for the U.S. Department of Defense was
Many events are being held on such a success that we will now be counting them among our UTDsolv
campus and the students are clients this coming fall (see page 2, “Students Enlist in DOD Projects”).
walking the hallways. UTDserv is our school’s program in which all our undergraduates
We released the 18th install- either fulfill 100 hours of community service or work on a semester-
ment of the UTD Top 100 Busi- long project to help non-profit organizations. In the previous two
Hasan Pirkul ness School Research Rankings™ semesters (spring and fall 2021), Jindal School students completed
Dean and Caruth Chair
this spring. Every year more 55,051 hours of service and 1,740 projects were done for organiza-
business schools across the globe enter these rankings. I am pleased tions such as American Red Cross, North Texas Food Bank and
that the rankings we began nearly two decades ago spurred more National Breast Cancer Foundation.
interest in research and led to thought leadership in management and The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board has approved a
business studies expanding around the world. I am even more pleased new doctoral program to be offered for the first time in fall 2022.
that the Jindal School is ranked among the top 5 worldwide. The Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) is intended for
In other rankings news, U.S. News & World Report placed our senior managers and executives who will work on solving problems
Full-Time MBA program 29th and part-time MBA program 19th in the from their organizations applying research methodologies taught
country. These are our highest rankings to date for these programs. by our faculty.
Furthermore, both of these programs were ranked 10th among public JSOM’s 2nd annual Undergraduate Deans’ Conference virtually
university programs. We at the Jindal School have always known that brought together more than 125 deans from nearly 100 management
we provide an unparalleled educational experience to our students. and business schools to discuss lessons learned from educating
Now the rest of the world is starting to take note. during the pandemic. This conference not only helped us learn from
I take great pride in leading an outstanding faculty that is not only experiences of our colleagues across the country but also was yet
productive when it comes to research, but also keeps its finger on the another opportunity to build the JSOM brand.
pulse of the business community and offers thought leadership that Two of our alumni have been in the news. Congratulations to
maintains its industry relevance year after year. An example is recent Lisa Ong, MS’14, for winning the Dallas Business Journal’s Leaders
publication of a study by Dr. Brian Ratchford, professor emeritus In Diversity Award and to Bonnie Shea, BS’84, for being one of eight
of marketing, whose examination of the unanticipated dynamics of recipients of the UT Dallas Distinguished Alumni Award. Outstanding
promoting crowdfunding donation campaigns via social media was alumni such as yourselves truly bring credit to the Jindal School by
recently published in the Journal of Interactive Marketing. making your marks on society.
I am excited to announce that our first cohort of Jindal Young In closing, I want to thank our students, faculty and staff for their
Scholars celebrated their graduation this spring. These are students outstanding efforts during the pandemic to continue our School’s
who came to us from high schools in the Dallas Independent School march forward. To the larger community of alumni, corporate part-
District with a determination to succeed. They continued to persevere ners and other supporters, I appreciate your unending support and
in their studies here for another four years. In many cases, they have encouragement as we strive to continually improve in all that we do.
become student leaders and now are UT Dallas graduates who have I remain forever in your debt.
an advantage in the job market thanks to the support and generous
donations that have come from JSOM community members. Oppor-
tunities to help current and future JYSP and other students are avail- Best Wishes,
able through the New Dimensions fundraising campaign launched by
The University of Texas at Dallas in 2021 to raise $750 million.
Visit us online at j i n d a l . u t d a l l a s . e d u
VOLUME 25 | No. 2 | Spring 2022
...
MOVING
FORWARD
...
2 8
2
Jindal, UT Dallas Students
6
Financing the Future Success
7UTD Top 100 Business DEPARTMENTS
Tackle Challenging National of Jindal School Students School Research Rankings™ 8 Advisory Council Update
Security Problems The Jindal Young Scholars Show Increase in Research
10 Research Ventures
Students from the Jindal School Program addresses several of Productivity Worldwide
and UT Dallas worked with the The University of Texas at Dallas’ The 18th installment of the Jindal 12 Program Updates
U.S. Department of Defense to imperatives of the $750-million School’s UTD Top 100 Business 17 Student News
solve military problems by using New Dimensions fundraising School Research Rankings™ reveal 18 Faculty News
Lean Startup methodologies. campaign, including recruiting that management and business
Projects focused on how to the best students; guaranteeing a
20 Center & Conference News
schools around the world are in a
increase diversity, improve the comprehensive approach to their new era of research productivity. 22 Alumni News
culture, schedule complex technical success; and ensuring they take Jimmie R. Markham 25 Thought You Should Know
training and improve innovation. part in a cutting-edge curriculum
Holly Rio that has an inclusive outlook.
Jeanne Spreier
PUBLISHER ART DIRECTION & DESIGN PHOTOGRAPHY MANAGEMENT Magazine is a
Dr. Hasan Pirkul ThinkHaus Creative, Inc. Randy Anderson publication of the Naveen Jindal School
Jimmie Markham of Management, in the autumn and
Dean and Caruth Chair Elizabeth Fenimore
spring for friends of the University. The
Principal Pedro Morales
school retains the right to determine
EXECUTIVE EDITOR Nicole Stuessy
the editorial content and manner of
Dr. Diane Seay McNulty ILLUSTRATION Stan Shebs presentation. The opinions expressed in
Associate Dean Atakan/Adobe Stock palau83/Adobe Stock this magazine do not necessarily reflect
for External Affairs blankstock/Adobe Stock Роман Ярощук/Adobe Stock WRITERS official university policy.
and Corporate Development creamfeeder/Adobe Stock robu_s/Adobe Stock Brittany Magelssen © University of Texas at Dallas, 2022
Genzo99/Adobe Stock Strawberry Blossom/Adobe Jimmie Markham UT Dallas is an equal opportunity/
MANAGING EDITORS IRStone/Adobe Stock Stock Holly Rio affirmative action university.
Jimmie Markham Mariia/Adobe Stock Tasha Vector/Adobe Stock Jeanne Spreier
Katie Voss Norm Form/Adobe Stock vovan/Adobe Stock Nicole Stuessy
nuengrutai/Adobe Stock ylivdesign/Adobe Stock Glenda Vosburgh
On the cover: Young person visualizes the future through a pair of binoculars. Cover design by Elizabeth Gonzalez and illustration © GeorgePeters/iStock
BY HOLLY RIO
STUDENTS
in DOD Projects
U
ndergraduate students from The University of Texas at Dallas had an opportunity
last fall to work with the U.S. Department of Defense on real problems facing the
U.S. Armed Forces.
Fifteen students from the Naveen Jindal School of Management and the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science enrolled in
Special Topics in Entrepreneurship — Hacking4Defense (ENTP 4v000), a course created to align with the U.S. Department of Defense program
Hacking for Defense. They teamed up and partnered with military and intelligence leaders to fully understand their assigned problems and then
utilized Lean Startup methodologies to develop solutions. On December 7, the students presented their solutions at the Blackstone LaunchPad.
“The students encountered problems in the military that are not unique to the military, but are found in all organizations — how to increase
diversity, improve the culture, schedule complex technical training and improve innovation,” said Dr. Emily Choi, a professor in the Organizations,
Strategy and International Management Area who taught the course.
Sponsored by the DOD and piloted at Stanford, Hacking for Defense is a program of the National Security Innovation Network. It seeks to lever-
age the talent of the brightest entrepreneurial university students to rapidly address emerging national security challenges. Working directly with the
DOD and U.S. Intelligence Communities, students from 55 schools across the country participate in the program annually with projects geared toward
making the nation — and the world — a safer place.
On the first day of class last August, four student teams were matched up with military “problem sponsors” to learn about
their assignments. During the next 16 weeks, the students conducted interviews with beneficiaries and stakeholders at all
levels to gain a deeper understanding of their assigned problems while working simultaneously on a series of potential
solutions, or minimum viable products. The process involved validating issues, making discoveries, improving the initial
ideas and then restating the problem — or pivoting — when initial hypotheses they had made regarding their problem
statements were proven incorrect.
emily choi
2 The Naveen Jindal School of Management
The Problems and Their Sponsors guard. “I think by the end of the semester we had interviewed over 30
Measuring Unit Health at Fort Bliss — The team’s objective was people from all military perspectives — officers, enlisted and retired.”
to identify a method of measuring and expressing unit health based The team’s revised problem statement proposed a method to measure
on cohesion, inclusion, well-being and belonging to address corrosive and strengthen the overall health of a unit by directly contending with
behaviors — sexual assault, sexual harassment, extremism, racism toxic aspects of the current culture through increasing the consistency
and suicide. Problem Sponsors: Maj. John Asselin and Maj. Andrew of consequences for corrosive behavior to create a level playing field.
(Red) Powell. Their final, comprehensive solution involved enhancing an existing app
Innovation in the Army Reserve — The team’s objective was to cre- with new features to make telemedicine, advocacy, education and infor-
ate a process for identifying and innovating solutions for capability gaps mation more readily available.
between the U.S. Army Reserve and the Active-Duty Army. Problem Sarah Romanko, a business administration senior, and Nikolas Hamon,
Sponsor: Maj. Vikram Mittal. a mechanical engineering junior, presented Innovation in the Army
Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTAC) Training Trouble — The
team’s objective was to address issues associated with completing the
large-scale training exercises necessary to keep Tactical Air Control
Parties (TACPs) fully prepared to provide better close air support for
ground forces. Problem Sponsor: Master Sgt. Ron (Paul) Tyson.
Diversifying the Army Officer Corps — The team’s objective was
to find better tools for recruiters to use to discover college-ready
candidates from a variety of backgrounds, in order to address the dis-
proportionately low number of African- and Hispanic-American officers
in the Army, compared to the racial makeup of the U.S. Problem Spon-
sors: Col. Stephen Ruth and Lt. Col. Mai Lee Eskelund.
Getting Out of the Building
The Lean Startup approach utilized in the class was developed
largely by Silicon Valley entrepreneur Steve Blank, who worked with the Front row from left: Nikolas Hamon, Sarah Romanko, Jackson Barrett-
© S T R A W B E R R Y B L O S S O M /A D O B E S T O C K , G E N Z O 9 9 /A D O B E S T O C K
Cuetara, Corresta Galaviz, Emily Choi, Alvin Hsieh, Jonathan Steele,
DOD to develop the Hacking for Defense program. A key component of Irvin (Gio) Orellana
the process is “getting out of the building” to interview beneficiaries to Back row from left: Andrew Kocsis, Eryc Smith, Jacob Slade,
identify requirements and desired characteristics of problem solutions. Jackson Burns, James Benefield, Brandon Byrd
Measuring Unit Health at Fort Bliss was presented by students
Irvin (Gio) Orellana, a business administration senior; Andrew Kocsis, a
mechanical engineering senior; Corresta Galaviz, a business administra- Reserve. They conducted 23 interviews during their discovery process,
tion senior; and Jonathan Steele, a business administration junior. They which resulted in a significant pivot on their original problem statement
pivoted numerous times as they worked to clearly identify, and restate, based on a new understanding that risk aversion was obstructing innova-
the actual problem. tion. The team’s final MVP proposed incorporating a mentoring program
“We really tried to understand the problem from different angles,” as an add-on to the existing Captain’s Career Course (for aspiring offi-
said Orellana, a 5 1/2-year active-duty Marine Corps veteran who served cers) to provide classroom instruction on innovation and risk-taking and
in various posts abroad as a combat engineer and Marine security a pitch competition as a means for personnel with innovative ideas to
UT Dallas Spring 2022 3
learn how to present them effectively. The most important thing Romanko learned from the expe-
rience, she said, “was not to be afraid to change paths.”
The JTAC Training Trouble team consisted of Brandon Byrd, a mechanical engineering senior;
James Benefield, a mechanical engineering senior; and Jackson Burns, a business administration
junior. The team interviewed more than 35 Air Force Special Operations personnel to fully comprehend
the complexities of the coordination problem on large-scale training exercises. Their final MVP
proposal involved a highly specialized scheduling software to track training needed by TACPs and
pilots to pull information from other databases.
Diversifying the Army Officer Corps was presented by students Alvin Hsieh, a mechanical engi-
neering senior; Eryc Smith, a finance senior; Jackson Barrett-Cuetara, a business administration From left:
left: Jonathan Steele, Andrew Kocsis,
senior; and Jacob Slade, a finance junior. They conducted interviews with — and obtained surveys Corresta Galaviz, and Irvin (Gio) Orellana
from — about 20 military personnel, which resulted in a restatement of their problem to recog-
nize that the Army ROTC is suffering from a lack of public awareness and a shortage of recruiting
resources and retention in the Cadet Corps. Their final solution included the creation of an ROTC
newsletter, the addition of diversity recruiting specialists in areas where minority representation
in the ROTC is underdeveloped and a mentorship program for the development of cadets.
Feedback — and Further Inquiries
The team problem sponsors attended the presentations virtually and offered feedback during
the event. Col. Ruth, director of Task Force Strategic Officer Recruiting Detachment, U.S. Army
Sarah Romanko and Nikolas Hamon
Cadet Command, and one of the problem sponsors for the Diversifying the Army Officer Corps
team, thanked the entire group.
“These students tackled a very complex problem that the army is wrestling with, to really try
to help us in our efforts to make a more perfect union,” he said. “If our army doesn’t reflect the
society that it serves, we lose our relevance and our integrity that we must maintain with the
American people.”
Throughout the process Choi said she gained a deeper appreciation for the people who serve
our country. Following the presentations, she received positive feedback from all the problem
sponsors and some further inquiries about taking the projects to the next step. She hopes student
teams in other courses can work on implementing the proposed solutions. From left: Jackson Burns, James Benefield,
Choi said she was very impressed with the students. She said they worked hard, learned and Brandon Byrd
lifelong skills and tools to lead innovation wherever they go in their careers.
They learned to ask questions and think critically to get to the roots of problems; and to devel-
op the confidence to design and then redesign solutions that end up truly innovative and valuable,
she said.
Choi said the project was such a success that it will be offered in fall 2022 as a part of UTDsolv,
the Jindal School’s capstone senior project program.
From left:
left: Alvin Hsieh, Jackson Barrett-
Cuetara, Eryc Smith and Jacob Slade
4 The Naveen Jindal School of Management
Mai lee
eskelund
Bringing Hacking for Defense to
UT Dallas
Late in 2019, representatives from the DOD contacted Rod
Wetterskog, UT Dallas assistant dean for corporate relations and
program coordinator for UTDesign, who introduced them to Paul
Nichols, executive director of the Institute for Innovation & Entrepre-
neurship and program director for Innovation & Entrepreneurship.
Nichols said, “I used my existing
ENTP 3301 ‘company pitch course’ in
Fall 2020 to try out the curriculum, PERSPECTIVE
but I realized it needed its own FROM A PROBLEM SPONSOR
course, which we created and
launched in Fall 2021, and so we
could attract non-JSOM students
to take it as well.” Nichols tapped
L t. Col. Mai Lee Eskelund, deputy director and chief in
the Houston Strategic Officer Recruiting Detachment
(SORD) of U.S. Army Cadet Command, was the problem-
Choi to teach the first dedicated sponsor representative for the Diversifying the Officer
paul nichols
H4D class. Corps project. Eskelund oversees ROTC outreach to educate
To prepare, Choi took a train- the population about opportunities and scholarships. It was
ing class offered by the Common her first time participating in Hacking for Defense.
Mission Project, a nonprofit that works in Eskelund said that identifying a better way ahead for diversity
tandem with the DOD and in partnership with in the Army’s future represents a very large problem set for
Lockheed Martin, to focus on building mission- SORD. One way to accomplish this is by starting with current
driven entrepreneurs to solve critical national security, civic and ROTC participants. But working with the team of UT Dallas stu-
social challenges through the Hacking for Defense nationwide dents, it became apparent that lack of awareness was significant.
academic course. The Common Mission Project and Lockheed “If these students who are in college now didn’t really know
together provided UT Dallas with a $15,000 grant to help support about these opportunities and options, then we really need to
the new course. continue to spread the information of what ROTC is, and what
For Choi, teaching this course was something of a full circle it offers,” she said.
experience. Students Alvin Hsieh, former Air Force, and Jackson
“While in grad school, I took a side job to be a facilitator for MBAs Barrett-Cuetara had an opportunity after their class presenta-
to apply design thinking and lean innovation approaches to solve real tion to do a follow-up brief on their findings with U.S. Army
business problems for companies,” she said. “It was so much fun! Now Cadet Command leadership in charge of ROTC programs across
here I am, teaching students to apply those innovation methods — the nation. Eskelund said the students "did a phenomenal job
for national security to boot. I’m grateful for the opportunity and for with the brief,” adding, “It was very well-rehearsed, very well
the support from my colleagues.” executed and my leadership was able to ask questions and the
The course will be offered in the fall and will be listed as ENTP 6381: team was able to answer them. It was very well received.”
Lean Innovation for Public Services: Hacking for Defense. “That,” she said, “is where systemic change will come from.”
UT Dallas Spring 2022 5
© ATA K A N /A D O B E S T O C K
Financing the
Future Success
of Jindal School Students
By Jeanne Spreier
OO
ne of the Naveen Jindal School of Management’s critical
priorities is increasing access to college for outstanding
high schoolers by providing need-based scholarships. One
avenue for meeting this need is New Dimensions, a fundraising campaign
launched by The University of Texas at Dallas in 2021 to raise $750 million.
Center) and am beginning my career delivering medical goods,” he said.
“One day, I plan to be CEO.”
Tovar’s gratitude for the JYSP program extended to gratefulness
from his family.
“The donors’ generosity has given me an opportunity of a lifetime
“The Jindal School has launched thousands of first-generation students for my family and me,” he said.
into successful careers,” said Dr. Hasan Pirkul, Caruth Chair and dean of the Matthew Joseph Garcia, a JYSP freshman planning a career in
Jindal School. “While at the Jindal School, these graduates had leadership business analytics, has his eyes on an internship with General Motors
training, were taught by top research professors and learned in a climate or with a real estate company.
of broad diversity and inclusiveness. These graduates are, quite frankly, “Growing up in the Oak Cliff area, there are not many opportunities
the professionals that corporations hunger for when they are hiring.” to pursue a higher education because many families cannot afford
The Jindal Young Scholars Program, which Pirkul launched college tuition,” said Garcia, graduate of Moisés E. Molina High School.
in 2018, provides select high schoolers from Dallas Independent Jindal Young Scholars addresses several campuswide New Dimensions
School District with full tuition, room and board for four years. The imperatives: to recruit the best students; guarantee a comprehensive
program is singular at UT Dallas. In addition to comprehensive finan- approach to their success; and ensure they take part in a cutting-edge
cial support, it also provides participants with a collegiate advisor curriculum that has an inclusive outlook.
who keeps the students on track and encourages them to engage “The Jindal Young Scholars students are among the most talented in
with student clubs and participate in campus activities. Students are Texas and are working diligently to become the next generation of busi-
involved in everything from University Theatre to the Professional ness leaders to succeed in a global marketplace,” said TaKeisha Busby,
Program in Accounting. Jindal School’s assistant development director charged with growing
All 22 Jindal Young Scholars students graduated from one of five part- the JYSP endowment. She said her work with JYSP is simply to empow-
ner Dallas ISD high schools. Julio Tovar, a JYSP junior earning a BS in er donors to create their own legacy through giving.
Healthcare Management, is from H. Grady Spruce High School. “We want to make sure these outstanding students are supported and
“I have an internship at (University of Texas Southwestern Medical can afford the best education without financial barriers," she said.
From left:
Julio Tovar,
Matthew
Joseph Garcia,
TaKeisha Busby
6 The Naveen Jindal School of Management
By Jimmie Markham
UTD Top 100 Business School Research Rankings™
Show Increase in Research Productivity Worldwide
he 18th installment of the UTD Top 100 Business School Research Rankings™ was released March 15 with some familiar names at
the top of the list. The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania maintains its No. 1 position in both the Worldwide and
North American rankings, and New York University’s Leonard N. Stern School of Business stays at No. 2. Columbia University's
Columbia Business School, Harvard University's Harvard Business School and The University of Texas at Dallas' Naveen Jindal School of
Management round out the top 5.
The Jindal School has published the rankings annually since 2005. They provide
a tool that studies research articles or notes published in 24 leading peer-reviewed
journals in major business disciplines based on the authors’ university affiliation, thus
indicating the research productivity of the represented universities.
The overall research productivity has seen a steady increase over the years.
Research is now being emphasized across the globe. In the initial 2000-2004 tracking
period, that total was 5,766. In the most recent five-year period, the combined number
of articles published by the top 100 schools in the Worldwide Rankings is 12,651.
Hasan Pirkul
In 2005, when the rankings were first published, 16 universities from 7 countries (not
including the U.S.) were represented in the Worldwide Rankings with a combined total of
550 articles. This year, 34 non-U.S. universities from 10 countries account for a total of
3,568 articles.
“These numbers indicate that we are in a new era of research productivity worldwide,” said Dr. Hasan Pirkul, Caruth Chair and dean of the Jindal
School. “The numbers tell me that many more universities are emphasizing research today than they were back then. I am pleased that the rankings
we created nearly two decades ago show a clear pattern of expanding thought leadership across the globe in business and management studies.”
This year in the Worldwide Rankings, schools from 11 countries (including the U.S.) were represented — the same number as last year. The
United States has by far the greatest number of universities in the top 100 with 68. Number two is United Kingdom with 8, surpassing China, which
had 7 both this year and last. Six Canadian schools were represented this year. At No. 12, France’s INSEAD School of Business has the highest rank-
ing of any non-U.S. university. The University of Toronto’s Joseph L. Rotman School of Management has the next highest non-U.S. ranking at No. 23
followed by the University of London’s London Business School at No. 24.
In the North American Rankings, 92 American and 8 Canadian universities are represented this year. The University of Toronto comes in at No. 22,
the highest non-U.S. ranking.
© I R S T O N E /A D O B E S T O C K
UT Dallas Spring 2022 7
Departments Advisory Council Update
NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS BROADEN JINDAL SCHOOL’S
INDUSTRY OPPORTUNITIES
has held Certified Professional Constructor
and LEED AP Building Design + Construc-
BRIAN ANDREWS
VICE PRESIDENT OF PRECONSTRUCTION tion certifications and is the qualifying
AUSTIN COMMERCIAL agent for Austin Commercial’s licensure in
B rian Andrews is vice president of pre-
construction at Austin Commercial,
one of the largest commercial contractors in
Alabama, Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina,
South Carolina and Tennessee.
A North Texas native, Andrews has
Texas, where he oversees the estimating and served as president for the Markout Water
preconstruction efforts. Andrews joined Aus- Supply Corporation Board of Directors in
tin in 1998, and has held multiple positions Forney, Texas, and has served on the board
in the estimating, project management and of directors for the DFW Technology and
preconstruction groups for the past 23 years. Education Council of North Texas.
Andrews earned a bachelor’s degree in “As an alumnus of UTD, I’m excited to
Brian Andrews
Construction Science from Texas A&M in work with the University to explore op-
1998 and, in 2014, an executive MBA from portunities to align skills and expectations
UT Dallas. of students with those that are present in cent of the GDP. The opportunities for the
In his current role, Andrews leads the the corporate world,” he said. “The impact graduates of the Jindal School are broad
effort to ensure Austin continues to provide that construction and the real estate market and I hope my experience can lead to en-
“best in class” preconstruction services. He have on the local and national economy lightening students and staff about these
is substantial, ultimately almost twenty per- diverse opportunities.”
where he held various client-facing posi- to be the newest member of this highly
tions in Dallas-Fort Worth. impactful group. The work being done by
TODD BURNS Burns earned his BBA and MBA degrees UTD is exemplary and Wells Fargo is proud
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND
in Industrial Marketing and International of the partnership. We are committed to
DIVISION EXECUTIVE
WELLS FARGO & COMPANY Finance from the University of North Texas further advancing UTD and its impact on
T odd Burns is an executive vice president in 1993 and 1994. the Dallas-Fort Worth community.”
and division executive for Wells Fargo A current member of the Dallas Regional
Commercial Banking. Based in Dallas- Chamber Board of Directors, Burns co-chairs
Fort Worth, Burns leads teams in Dallas, their Innovation Task Force. He has held
Fort Worth, West Texas and Oklahoma board positions for Downtown Dallas, Inc.,
focused on serving the financial needs of Junior Achievement and Dallas Arboretum
companies with annual sales ranging from and has served on various advisory commit-
$10 million to over $2 billion. tees for United Way and March of Dimes.
Burns joined Wells Fargo in 2021 after Burns is a 2006 graduate of the Dallas Re-
serving as managing director and region gional Chamber Leadership Dallas program.
manager for Middle Market Banking at Burns lives in Flower Mound with his wife,
JPMorgan Chase. In that capacity, he led a Stacy, and has two college-aged children.
team that focused on companies in Dallas, After his first council meeting, Burns
Fort Worth, and West Texas. Prior to join- said, “Wells Fargo has developed a strong
ing JPMorgan Chase, Burns spent the bulk relationship with UTD and its Advisory
Todd Burns
of his 30-year career with Bank of America, Council over the years, and I am excited
8 The Naveen Jindal School of ManagementAdvisory Council Update Departments
cations in a variety of roles including
university recruiting, compensation and
AMY HANKS
Human Resource Information System
AMERICAS MANAGER OF HR SHARED SERVICES
FUJITSU (HRIS) implementations. She served as
A my Hanks has served as the Americas the project lead to create a shared ser-
region manager of HR Shared Services vices operation for HR support in the
at Fujitsu since April 2021. Her primary Americas region, consolidating teams
responsibilities include managing the from three subsidiaries to offer services
shared services and operations team, driv- to 20 Fujitsu subsidiaries.
ing strategic automation through Robotic Hanks holds a Master of Science in
Process Automation (RPA) and regional Human Resources from Texas A&M Uni-
program harmonization. versity. She is a Society of Human Resource
For two years she led the WIN (Women’s Management Certified Professional and
Amy Hanks
Innovative Network) – Fujitsu’s first and Professional of Human Resources.
largest employee resource group in North In her spare time, Hanks stays busy
America, with a mission to bring employ- keeping up with her two daughters and standing partnership with UTD, and
ees together to support, empower, guide their activities, traveling with her family collaborating with the Jindal School spe-
and inspire women to achieve their full and volunteering at her church. cifically. As an employer in the commu-
professional and personal potential. Upon joining the Dean’s Advisory nity that regularly recruits from UTD, we
Hanks joined Fujitsu in 2010, Council, Hanks said, “I am excited to find that this partnership is beneficial
supporting Fujitsu Network Communi- represent Fujitsu and continue our long- for all parties!”
rate Real Estate designation through
CoreNet. He was on the board of City-
CHAD SCHIEBER
Square and served on the organization’s
CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER
THE BECK GROUP Community Development Corporation.
C had Schieber is chief marketing He is an alumnus of Leadership Dallas,
officer for The Beck Group, leading an active member of The Real Estate
marketing, business development and Council (TREC) and a graduate of TREC’s
sales strategy. Schieber joined Beck in Associate Leadership Class.
1997 and has held various positions in Schieber earned his BS in Civil Engi-
client services and marketing for more neering from the University of Missouri,
than 10 years. Columbia, in 1996, and his MBA from the
Previously, he worked for Peter Beck, University of Texas at Dallas in 2001.
the firm’s executive director, and was Family is important to Schieber. He and
Chad Schieber
staffed on-site on construction and devel- his wife, Laura, are parents to 17-year-old
opment projects. He also worked in Beck’s twin boys and a 16-year-old daughter.
estimating department and as the firm’s In joining the Advisory Council, ment in the new real estate program
internet strategist. Schieber said he and his wife feel a strong where they award scholarships to students
Schieber served on the board for the connection to the Jindal School. “We from the program annually.
Southwest Chapter of CoreNet Global. both received our MBAs at UTD and have “This allows us access to some of the
He completed his Leadership in Energy been proud to see the school rise in the best and brightest as Beck Scholars and
and Environmental Design (LEED) rankings each year,” he said. He added maintains our connection to the talent
accreditation and his Masters of Corpo- that The Beck Group sponsors an endow- graduating from UTD,” he said.
UT Dallas Spring 2022 9Departments JSOM Research Ventures
Study Explores Social
Media’s Influence on
Crowdfunding Campaigns
T
By Brittany he role of social media in the success of a it is for campaigns that provide an incentive to donate,
Magelssen crowdfunding campaign varies over time and suggesting that the psychological motives are important
is most helpful in the first 10 days of initiating for both types of campaigns and that the economic
a campaign, according to a recent analysis by motive doesn’t tell the whole story,” Ratchford said.
researchers from The University of Texas at Dallas. The researchers collected data on 437 unique dona-
In a study published online Feb. 15 and in the February tion campaigns that had some activity during the study’s
print issue of the Journal of Interactive Marketing, data collection period on GoFundMe, a popular online
Dr. Brian Ratchford, professor emeritus of marketing crowdfunding platform.
in the Naveen Jindal School of Management, and his co- Donation campaigns on crowdfunding sites are created
authors examined the unanticipated dynamics of promoting by individuals and can be promoted by sharing, tweet-
crowdfunding donation campaigns via social media. ing and liking on social media, a relatively costless way of
Crowdfunding is a method for raising funds from generating interest. Since 2010 GoFundMe reported it has
individual donors through an online platform, and social raised $15 billion for life events ranging from celebrations
media is a common channel for getting the word out and graduations to accidents and illnesses.
about these efforts. The researchers analyzed data from 6,073 observa-
Crowdfunding can be used to finance a commercial tions to estimate the impact of likes, shares, past
enterprise or to donate for an individual’s personal needs or donations and other variables on the number of donors
to a nonprofit cause. Sometimes, when supporting a com- and revenue per donor.
mercial enterprise, there is a potential reward, such as a The study found evidence that donation-based crowd-
share of the company or access to the company’s products. funding campaigns do not follow a steady pattern of
“Our results indicate that the general pattern of collecting donations but instead have three phases.
behavior is the same for purely charitable campaigns as In the first phase, or the first 10 days after the launch,
10 The Naveen Jindal School of ManagementJSOM Research Ventures Departments
potential donors have the choice to donate, wait
or abandon the cause. Friends and family are very
likely to donate.
“The average number of donors, amount donated
and amount per donor are highest during that period,”
Ratchford said. “If a campaign does not do well at the
outset, it is unlikely to succeed.”
In the second phase, which takes place 11 or
more days after the launch and with less than 70%
of the goal met, potential donors are more likely to
wait to make a decision. One influence on this is the media to get satisfaction from participating but not
bystander effect, a decision to donate only if the actually donate to the campaign.
campaign goal is not achieved by others. This is an unexpected consequence of using
Another possible decision is to follow others and social media as a promotion tool and results in
donate if many others are donating. This tends to cre- fewer donations but more social media engagement,
ate a herding effect and a large influx of donations. Ratchford said.
In the third phase, when more than 70% of the goal “Just clicking on like can demonstrate one’s con-
has been reached, potential donors are more likely to cern and provide satisfaction that might have been
contribute because they find a campaign with higher obtained by donating,” he said. “We provide prelimi-
cumulative donations more desirable or because their nary evidence that promoting charitable campaigns
motivation increases as the campaign nears its goal. on social media can lead to slacktivism, but a detailed
“As with the investment campaigns, there is a study of this would require individual-level data.”
decided increase in funding for charitable campaigns GoFundMe recently discontinued using likes,
as the goal is approached, even though GoFundMe which provides an opportunity for a before-and-
campaigns do not end at any predetermined time,” after study, Ratchford said.
Ratchford said. “This cannot be explained by eco- The research has implications for fundraisers
nomic factors, such as not seeing a potentially prof- and charitable marketers.
itable idea funded.” “Make the campaign visible at the outset,”
The researchers found that if a campaign does Ratchford said. “Although we didn’t study them,
© N O R M F O R M & M A R I I A /A D O B E S T O C K , M I L E R H U N G / T H I N K H A U S
not reach at least 70% of its goal after 20 days since reminders might be a way to rejuvenate a
launch, it is not likely to be successful. flagging campaign.”
The study also looked at slacktivism, the ten- Co-authors of the study include Dr. Yashar
dency to support a political or social cause on social Dehdashti of Texas Wesleyan University, JSOM
media or to sign online petitions but not engage in alum Aidin Namin (PhD’15) of Loyola Marymount
more meaningful activities to contribute to it. With University and corresponding author Dr. Lawrence
crowdfunding, viewers might like or share on social Chonko of UT Arlington.
Brian Ratchford
UT Dallas Spring 2022 11Departments Program Updates
NEW JINDAL SCHOOL DOCTORAL DEGREE
GIVES EDGE TO C-SUITE ASPIRANTS By Jimmie Markham
© TA S H A V E C T O R /A D O B E S T O C K
T
he Texas Higher Education Coordi- of hard skills. Nowadays, the use of program will require candidates to
nating Board has approved a new these methods and skills in business undertake 36 hours of core courses,
doctoral program that will be of- decision-making has been increasing 9 hours of electives and 27 disserta-
fered this fall for the first time at and people are seeing a lot of value in tion hours. The core and elective
the Naveen Jindal School of Management. these methods.” courses are expected to take two
The Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) Dr. Vijay Mookerjee, Charles and Nancy years to complete. Students will be expected
program will be geared toward senior managers Davidson Chair and Professor of Information to take two courses per semester. Before each
and executives who want to learn advanced Systems at the Jindal School, said the DBA summer semester, prior to the dissertation
research methodologies that can help them degree differs from the Jindal School’s PhD phase, students will conduct research projects
better solve thorny, real-world business prob- programs in that the former is more applied to get geared up for their dissertation year. Each
lems — which could give them an edge in their while the latter is more theoretical. of the two research projects will be taken in the
career trajectories. “In research, we often plot a two summer semesters. The third
The DBA degree will also provide graduates graph with two dimensions be- year will be devoted to completing
with the credentials needed to pursue posi- tween relevance and rigor,” said the dissertation. One or more faculty
tions in academia such as clinical professor or Mookerjee, who is also the Jindal will guide the candidate in preparing
adjunct professor. School’s PhD Area Coordinator and writing the dissertation.
Dr. Amit Mehra, professor of information in the Information Systems John Barden, clinical professor
systems at the Jindal School, said that the idea academic area. “I believe that a in accounting and associate dean of
for offering this type of doctoral degree versus good research problem at an AMIT MEHRA Executive Education, said the DBA
others in the nation that are more focused on advanced level should have both degree is a valuable addition to the
professional development is to fill a niche in the these dimensions. I would still say Jindal School’s academic lineup.
higher-education marketplace. that PhD students also have the “This is a great opportunity to
“What differentiates our DBA program from responsibility to add something make a real difference that will ad-
others offered around the U.S. is that ours to the theory of the problem they vance management education and
will be taught by faculty members who are are studying.” practice,” he said. “It’s exciting to
very oriented toward quantitative research,” Mookerjee said that the DBA think that we will be bringing in new
Mehra said. “We are very comfortable with students will learn the cutting-edge VIJAY MOOKERJEE students this coming fall who are also
data analytics and optimization — those kinds knowledge that they need to decision makers for their companies.
solve complex practical problems We will be equipping them to solve
that they face in a globally com- previously unsolvable problems while
petitive environment. gaining insights into what companies
Housed in the Executive Edu- are dealing with these days. That
cation area of the Jindal School, exchange of information is the life-
the part-time doctoral degree blood of management education.”
JOHN BARDEN
12 The Naveen Jindal School of ManagementProgram Updates Departments
CAREER MANAGEMENT CENTER AT THE JINDAL
SCHOOL ADAPTS TO GREAT RESIGNATION By Nicole Stuessy
lthough society has begun to open back up, the job market still sees important for graduates about to start the job search to ensure their
effects from the COVID-19 pandemic. Employers are facing what has LinkedIn profiles are up-to-date.
come to be known as the Great Resignation — a state in which a flood of Networking is not the only virtual aspect of most job searches. In a tight
employees is still opting for remote work, retiring early or candidate market, virtual interviews allow candidates to interview
changing careers altogether. at several companies at once, Son said.
Because of those changes, the demand for college graduates “Ultimately, we want the best candidate experience,” she
in the workforce is high, said Tom Kim, an assistant dean in said. “If we’re able to speed up the interview process without
the Naveen Jindal School of Management and director of the compromising the quality of hire, we will continue to incorporate
Career Management Center. the virtual interview process.”
“Companies are reaching out to universities and focusing in To help students prepare for virtual interviews, the CMC uses
on how to bring the young talent into their companies to replen- Quinncia, an artificial intelligence platform, to conduct mock
ish that workforce that’s missing,” Kim said. “Every day we’re interviews and give students feedback on areas of improvement.
getting employers calling us and asking how they can start to Students can also upload their resumes, and set up customized
TOM KIM
recruit our students.” questions based on their information, Kim said.
Although in-person events are less frequent, Kim said network- “Quinncia will give you an analysis of your interview,” Kim
ing is still a key factor to securing a job or internship. For more than two years, said. “It has these pinpoint systems where it’s looking at your face, and
the CMC has regularly held virtual meetups and “coffee chats” for students to your eyes and your mouth. It can detect things such as if I smiled during
speak with employers in small groups to address this need. the interview, or if I just talked like a robot the entire time.”
“Networking is still the best way to get a job, and Shetty said she practiced interviews on Quinncia
it’s still the best way for students to achieve their and received valuable feedback, which she imple-
goals at an internship or a full-time position,” Kim said. mented during her internship search.
Nikita Shetty, a first-year student in the Information “I got feedback to speak in a normal-paced tone
Technology and Management master’s program, because I spoke fast in the starting few minutes, and
attended virtual networking sessions during her my speed changed later,” Shetty said. “I would not have
internship search through Handshake — an online noticed this while practicing alone. These mock inter-
platform that connects students with employers that views have helped me know how I speak virtually.”
are hiring. Shetty, who secured an internship with Kim said going forward, the CMC will continue to
Full-Time MBA students met with
Amazon this summer, said these sessions provided JSOM employer partners at the focus specifically on what the market is looking for
Spring Networking Mixer on March
insights about companies’ products and technologies. 24, 2022. This event was one of the and adapt.
“I know of a few cases where my fellow students first in-person networking events “The market is looking for virtual connection with
the CMC held in over two years.
also got referred (for jobs) after attending a session,” our students, and that’s what we’re focusing on now,”
she said. he said. “If the market changes next year, we will
The CMC also trains students on best practices for networking via change to what the market is looking for. We are teaching our students to be
LinkedIn. Jamie Son, director of talent acquisition at Lennox, said it is ahead of the game.”
© N U E N G R U TA I /A D O B E S T O C K
UT Dallas Spring 2022 13Departments Program Updates
JINDAL SCHOOL STUDENTS
INVESTIGATE COMPANY By Nicole
Stuessy
CULTURE IN MARKETING
SENIOR CAPSTONE PROJECT
© Y L I V D E S I G N /A D O B E S T O C K
A group of marketing seniors in the Naveen Jindal School of Management
completed a longitudinal study this fall to determine what factors best-
in-class marketing organizations cultivate in collaboration with Austin-based
“We specifically wanted to determine if a relationship existed between
company culture and marketing personas and if a relationship existed
between leadership styles and marketing personas. We were hoping to identify
agency VisionEdge Marketing. what enables Value Creators to emerge in an organization,” Sagarwala said.
The course — Marketing Capstone Senior Project (MKT 4395) — was Sagarwala said the team started by creating survey questions, going
taught by Professor Rita Egeland, a lecturer in the Marketing Area. It usually through databases and determining qualified participants. From there, he led
pairs companies with students to act as an agency and develop a marketing the email marketing efforts.
plan for them. However, when Egeland spoke with VisionEdge Marketing “It’s very similar to cold calls, because you don’t really know if they’re going
President Laura Patterson about the research project, she said the opportu- to respond, and they probably won’t,” he said. “Enticing readers to open the
nity was too good to pass up. email, go through and actually take the survey — that was a really fun part for
“Patterson is so engaged in mentoring students,” Egeland said. “This was me. I got to really learn what it was like to do a professional survey.”
her way of giving back. Clearly, she and her own team could have done it Sagarwala said he had prior experience creating surveys from an earlier
faster. But she appreciated the perspective the students might provide – Jindal School course.
and it fit with her desire to help develop this next generation of marketers.” “I took a marketing research class where we got to understand how to create
The study had previously found quantitative factors such as the number a survey, how to field it and what insights to make out of it,” he said. “I feel like
of employees and budget were not directly correlated to high-performing that was directly correlated with this project.”
marketing departments (known as Value Creators). So instead, the Kathleen Wong BS’21 worked on interpreting the data as the responses
Capstone students examined qualitative factors, marketing senior came in. During the surveying process, the team worked through obstacles,
Hasan Sagarwala said. she said.
“One of the issues we encountered was that we didn’t really
have a high response rate,” Wong said. “So, we extended the time
period to collect their responses and even then, we had to figure
out how to use the information.”
While still in the classroom setting, working through this sort
of issue provides students with valuable experience, Egeland said.
“The opportunities to run into some of these challenges before
you are being evaluated as an employee are critical,” Egeland said.
“This is a great opportunity to make many mistakes in order to
learn as much as possible early on.”
Wong, who is now studying for her Master’s in Business Ana-
lytics at JSOM, said this research project is what made her decide
to pursue that field.
ABOVE: Hasan Sagarwala and Kathleen Wong “Before, in my stats classes, I didn’t really understand what
worked on the study to determine what factors
was the purpose of probability and standard deviation,” she said.
best-in-class marketing organizations cultivate in
their capstone class. Both students said the study “With this project, I gained a lot of insight in and perspective on
provided valuable real-world experience. how it’s used in the real world.”
AT RIGHT: Rita Egeland
14 The Naveen Jindal School of ManagementProgram Updates Departments
HIGH ONLINE RANKINGS REFLECT
JINDAL SCHOOL’S EDUCATIONAL
QUALITY AND ADAPTIVITY By Jimmie Markham
T
RANKINGS he Naveen Jindal School of
Management at The University
of Texas at Dallas received
high marks in new online program
Best Online MBA Program Specialties
(Business Analytics) rankings recently published by
• No. 4 (tied) overall U.S. News & World Report.
• No. 3 (tied) for public universities Released Jan. 25, U.S. News’ 2022
Best Online Programs rankings put
five Jindal School programs in the top
10 of their respective categories —
Best Online MBA Program Specialties
(General Management) two graduate business programs and
• No. 7 (tied) overall three MBA specialty programs. A sixth MONICA POWELL
• No. 6 (tied) for public universities program ranked in the top 10 among
public universities.
Dr. Monica Powell, the Jindal ment; expert opinion; student excel-
School’s senior associate dean and lence; student services and technology
Best Online MBA Program Specialties
graduate dean, said the rankings re- that facilitate distance learning; and
(Marketing)
flect the school’s ability to adapt and faculty credentials/training for deliver-
• No. 8 (tied) overall
meet the growing demand for online ing online education.
• No. 6 for public universities
learning modalities in higher education. For the MBA ranking, data was
“These rankings send a consistent collected from 358 schools with online
message to the marketplace that the programs — well above the 324 from
Best Online MBA Programs Jindal School is highly regarded and last year. For the non-MBA master’s
• No. 9 (tied) overall that it offers top-notch master’s and rankings, 206 programs were sur-
• No. 7 (tied) for public universities MBA online programs for the North veyed, compared to 184 last year.
Texas community and the rest of the “In higher education, change is
world,” she said. the only constant,” Powell said. “Since
Two MBA specialty programs — we still are in the midst of a global
Best Online Master’s Business business analytics and marketing — pandemic, it stands to reason that
Programs (non-MBA)
rose two spots in the U.S. News the online field would become more
© PA L A U 8 3 /A D O B E S T O C K
• No. 10 (tied) overall
rankings from last year. Last fall, the crowded. We have adapted to meet
• No. 6 for public universities
Jindal School climbed to No. 32 among the market needs of business profes-
U.S. universities in the 2021-2022 sionals who demand more options
Bloomberg Businessweek Best for their educational experiences
Best Online MBA Program Specialties B-Schools MBA rankings. — whatever those reasons might be.
(Finance)
For its rankings, U.S. News used Our high rankings confirm that we are
• No. 11 overall
metrics that included student engage- meeting those needs.”
• No. 7 for public universities
UT Dallas Spring 2022 15Departments Program Updates
JINDAL SCHOOL
MBA PROGRAMS
RANKED AMONG By Jimmie Markham
TOP 1O
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
3O T
he Naveen Jindal School of Management reached
U.S. TOP
BUSINESS several noteworthy milestones in the 2023 edition
SCHOOLS of U.S. News & World Report’s Best Business Schools
Rankings — including its first time in the top 30 among
U.S. business schools and first time in the top 10 among
U.S. public schools.
The Jindal School’s Full-Time MBA Program comes HASAN PIRKUL
U.S. TOP
PUBLIC
SCHOOLS 1O in at No. 29 this time around, up three places from
2022 and tied with three other schools. It is the highest
ranking the school has ever attained. It is ranked No. 10
Placement success — employment rates at gradua-
tion, employment rates three months after graduation
among public schools and is No. 3 in Texas. and mean starting salary and bonus — account for 35%
JSOM’s Professional MBA Program moves up to of the total score.
No. 19 among the ranking’s part-time programs, up Student selectivity accounts for 25% of the ranking
PART-TIME TOP
MBA
PROGRAM 2O two places from last year — also tied with three other
schools — and also the highest rank the school has ever
attained. Like the full-time program, it is ranked No. 10
score. The criteria are mean GMAT and GRE scores,
mean undergraduate GPA and acceptance rate.
The part-time rankings are based on five factors this
among public schools and No. 3 in Texas. year: average peer-assessment score; average GMAT
In several of the MBA specialty rankings, the Jindal score and average GRE quantitative score; verbal and
School’s MBA Concentrations also fared well: analytical-writing scores; average undergraduate GPA;
• No. 11 — Project Management work experience; and percentage of MBA students in
• No. 12 — Information Systems the part-time program.
• No. 20 — Business Analytics Dr. Monica Powell, senior associate dean and
• No. 22 (tied) — Supply Chain graduate dean of the Jindal School, said that moving
• No. 34 (tied) — Finance up in the rankings requires a long-term commitment
“I’m happy to see that we are making progress in toward achievement.
these rankings,” said Dr. Hasan Pirkul, Caruth Chair and “It takes years of building reputation, recruiting tal-
dean of the Jindal School. “They are an affirmation of ented students, improving in the quality factors for the
the quality of our programs, students and faculty.” students that we admit, improving our relationships with
The indicators that U.S. News used this year for the employers and how we place our students — this is a
full-time ranking include qualitative assessments, place- long journey to recognition,” she said. “It takes a whole
ment success and student selectivity. It surveyed 496 lot of effort by so many constituents within the school
institutions of which 363 responded and 134 provided to achieve a ranking in the top 30. To be the number 10
enough data to be included. public full-time MBA program and the number 10 part-
There are two qualitative factors that total 40% of a time public program in the nation is truly remarkable for
school’s ranking — peer-assessment score and recruiter a university as young as The University of Texas at Dallas
assessment score. and a business school as young as the Jindal School.”
16 The Naveen Jindal School of ManagementYou can also read
