Jeff Sharp likens his new role as associate dean of undergraduate education to that of a “really good referee” at a football game: “The best ones keep everyone’s focus on the players,” he says.

Jeff Sharp

After 23 years as a Penn State Smeal College of Business faculty member, Sharp stepped into his new administrative role on Jan. 1. His responsibilities include student enhancement, engagement, and enrichment, as well as curriculum and student records and educational programs.

“In simple terms, my job is to uphold and increase the value and honor of a Smeal College degree,” says Sharp. “I want to continue letting our students be the stars, and to support (Dean) Chuck Whiteman’s leadership and vision for the college.”

Sharp sees an important aspect of his position as that of a facilitator, connecting faculty, students, and advisors while promoting all aspects of undergraduate academic life from curriculum to graduation.

The most basic component of a great undergraduate program is a solid curriculum taught by top-notch faculty—and Smeal certainly has that, according to Sharp: “If you look at how well our students are placed after graduation, the college’s success speaks for itself,” he says.

But, Sharp says, what makes Smeal really stand out is its high level of student involvement. Smeal has a large number of student business organizations, global programs, service activities, co-ops and internships.

“We offer so many great opportunities for leadership experience, exposure to the corporate world through internships and co-ops, and opportunities to participate in global programs and philanthropy. I don’t think other schools can match the momentum we have in student organizations and their relation to the college’s mission.“

“I look forward to working with Jeff to build upon the undergraduate education foundation that has been strengthened in recent years by previous associate dean Gus Colangelo,” says Charles Whiteman, John and Becky Surma Dean of Smeal. “Jeff has been a tremendous contributor to Smeal during his career, particularly in the undergraduate classroom. He has also played a critical role with our academic integrity initiative since it was introduced several years ago.”

About Jeff Sharp
Before joining the Penn State faculty in 1989, Sharp served as litigation counsel to national financial institutions and the FDIC during the banking crisis of the 1980s. He has expertise in commercial transactions and bankruptcy law. During his tenure at Penn State, Sharp has been recognized several times for excellence in teaching, and he will continue to teach business law courses for Smeal while serving as associate dean.

Sharp holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration, an MBA, and a JD, all from the University of Oklahoma.

The Penn State Small Business Development Center (SBDC) office served 657 clients in Centre and Mifflin counties last fiscal year, providing 5,614 consulting hours and helping to increase client sales by $11 million—and Penn State Smeal College of Business MBA students were integral to making that happen.

Each year, after a competitive application process, the SBDC chooses two to three Smeal MBA students as graduate assistants (GA). Like any other GA, these students contribute about 10 hours of work per week and are compensated with full tuition and a stipend. What makes this assistantship stand out, according to the SBDC’s Linda Feltman, is that the students spend those 10 hours doing hands-on work that makes a tangible difference in the local economy.

The Penn State SBDC offers free consulting services to small firms and startups in Centre and Mifflin counties. Though many people outside the business community may not be familiar with the SBDC, the office is heavily trafficked by local business owners and entrepreneurs.

“We make a definable impact on Centre County in number of businesses opened and in number of jobs created,” says Feltman, senior business consultant at the SBDC. “And without the GAs, we would have to pare back our services.”

One of the main missions of Smeal MBA graduate assistants and other consultants at the SBDC is to take small business owners and entrepreneurs through the process of developing the business side of their idea. They often need guidance in areas like marketing, finance, or environmental concerns, and these are the areas targeted by the Smeal GAs.

“This is a win-win scenario for everyone,” says Smeal MBA Managing Director Carrie Marcinkevage. “Our students are helping the local business economy and benefiting by applying their education to real business challenges.”

Phil Ayoub, one of the 2012-13 GAs, was a great fit to consult with businesses on their financial issues, according to Feltman. Ayoub earned dual bachelor’s degrees in accounting and finance in 2005 and quickly climbed the ranks of the commercial banking industry in Washington, D.C. He says he sees some parallels in the work he’s doing at the SBDC with his previous career as a commercial lender.

“Clients come in and meet with me about real issues; for instance, maybe they’ve got a great idea, but they don’t know how to finance it,” says Ayoub. “One of my biggest passions is finding financing solutions for businesses to be more effective, to grow  smarter, to be more efficient with how they run their operations, and to make their capital work for them,” Ayoub says.

Ayoub graduates from the MBA program this May and hopes to return to commercial banking. This time, he says, he’ll take with him some valuable lessons from working with the small business and start-up clients at the SBDC.

“It’s important to take some of these principles and apply them to larger, more established businesses, says Ayoub. “For instance, take the whole idea of growth pattern. Often, businesses think in terms of ‘How much revenue can I earn?’ but don’t think in detail about the expense structure. The key is to grow smarter, not faster.”

Eric Layo and Neha Kala are the other two 2012-13 MBA graduate assistants at the SBDC. Layo focuses on helping clients with marketing-related issues. Kala, who comes to the MBA program from the petroleum engineering field, is a member of the SBDC’s Clean Technology Resource Center.

by Molly Graizzaro, senior majoring in public relations

Over the past year, several Penn State Smeal College of Business alumni and students were recognized for their exceptional allegiance and involvement with the college and Penn State. While the Smeal College of Business Alumni Society Board honors Smeal alumni with service to the college, the Penn State Alumni Association and Penn State Board of Trustees also honors Penn Staters and friends across the academic spectrum.

“On behalf of the Smeal College, I am grateful for the strong support and service afforded to us by our strong alumni community. The various awards programs offered at Smeal and throughout Penn State provide us with a wonderful opportunity to recognize our alumni and, at times, our future alumni,” says Charles H. Whiteman, the John and Becky Surma Dean of Smeal.

Each of Smeal’s award recipients are listed below:

Paul Bell ’83 A&A and Bus, received the 2012 Alumni Fellow Award, the Penn State Alumni Association’s most prestigious award. Bell recently retired from his position as president of Dell’s Global Public and Large Enterprise organization, a unit generating half of Dell’s revenues and providing technology solutions to corporations and public sector clients around the world.

Peter Cocoziello ’73 Bus, received the 2012 Distinguished Alumni Award, the highest honor bestowed by Penn State upon an outstanding alumna or alumnus. Cocoziello is president and CEO of Advance Realty, a Bedminster, N.J., company that has acquired and developed more than 10 million square feet of commercial, residential, mixed-use, and industrial space since he founded it in 1979.

Enrico Della Corna ’82 Bus, received the 2012 K. David Weidner Diversity Award, which recognizes significant contributions to fostering diversity at Penn State by sharing or volunteering talent, time, and resources on behalf of the University. Della Corna is the leader of PNC’s Middle Market and Corporate Finance businesses in the Greater Washington, D.C. area.

Michael R. Denove ’02 Bus, received the 2012 Smeal Outstanding Young Alumnus Award, which recognizes a recent graduate’s career achievements and community service. Denove is a senior manager with Ernst & Young’s Assurance Practice in Pittsburgh, Pa.

Bernice Innocent ’06 Bus, received the 2012 Smeal Alumni Diversity Award, which recognizes commitment to Smeal’s goal of being a diverse and mutually supportive community. Innocent is a senior human resources project manager at Lockheed Martin. She is also the founder and CEO of The Berrette Family Foundation, a nonprofit organization in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, focused on personal branding for first-generation high school students born of immigrant parents.

David Ketchen ’88 Bus, ‘94g Bus, received the 2012 Smeal Graduate Distinguished Achievement Award, recognizing his career achievements and his commitment of time, talent, and resources to the Smeal College. Ketchen is the Lowder Eminent Scholar, professor of management, and executive director of the Lowder Center for Family Business and Entrepreneurship at Auburn University in Auburn, Ala.

Paul Lerew ’12g Bus, received the 2012 Smeal Board Sponsorship Award in his senior year, honoring his leadership and exceptional scholarship. While a student, Lerew founded Smeal’s MAcc Program Student Association; he is now a consultant for Deloitte Consulting within the firm’s Strategy & Operations, Supply Chain Operations Practice.

Aldo Magazzeni ’72 Bus, received the 2012 Philip Philip Mitchell Alumni Service Award, recognizing an individual who has significantly contributed in the area of public service. Magazzeni is founder and director of Traveling Mercies, a non-profit dedicated to helping others, while creating a vehicle to remove barriers between cultures so that individuals can share their strengths, assets, and blessings with one another.

David Marcinek ’93 Bus, received the 2012 Smeal Undergraduate Distinguished Achievement Award, recognizing his career achievements and his commitment of time, talent, and resources to Smeal. Marcinek is co-head of the U.S. Financial Institutions Financing Group in the Investment Banking Division at Goldman Sachs.

Jeremy R. Osterstock ’02g Bus, received the 2012 Smeal Alumni Service Award, recognizing his service to the college and the University. Osterstock is the financial reporting and accounting manager for ExxonMobil’s U.S. production business.

Bianca Peart ’12 Bus, received the 2012 Smeal Student Diversity Award in her senior year, honoring her leadership and her commitment to furthering diversity efforts at Smeal. While a student, Peart restored Smeal’s Multicultural Women’s Forum and led the writing department for Critique, Smeal’s business magazine.

Chris Thomas ’03 Bus, ’08g Bus, received the 2012 Alumni Achievement Award, which honors alumni 35 years of age and younger for their extraordinary professional accomplishments. Thomas is global recruiting director for the General Electric Company, focused specifically on the Experienced Commercial Leadership Program (ECLP).

If you are interested in getting involved at Smeal, please reach out to us at alumni@smeal.psu.edu.

With only 500 miles or so between Penn State’s University Park campus and one of the largest MBA career fairs in the nation, more than a third of the students in the Smeal MBA Program decided to pack their bags and set out for Indianapolis in late September. The MBA road-trip was just one of many activities during the month designed to connect corporate recruiters with Smeal College of Business students at all levels seeking internships, co-ops, and full-time opportunities.

“The National Black MBA Association career fair attracts top companies in every industry,” said first-year MBA Mike Bassani, one of about 50 students to attend the Sept. 27-28 event at the Indiana Convention Center. “The first day was about getting face time with companies and setting up interviews for the following day. Everyone was open to talking, and the Penn State alumni who were there really helped connect current Smeal MBAs with the right people.”

To make it easier for students to attend the Indianapolis event, the Smeal MBA Program covered the cost of hotel rooms for those who opted to attend and the students paid for transportation and food. With more than 300 companies and public sector organizations in attendance, Bassani said the trip was well worth it. He landed an interview with one of his priority companies and extended his network into new areas.

Along with opportunities in other states, hundreds of Smeal students also participated in a variety of fall career fairs closer to home. Smeal hosted a fair in the Business Building for its Corporate Associates—companies that partner with the college for increased visibility. The fall edition of the Supply Chain Career Fair attracted a record number of companies seeking students from the top-ranked supply chain program in the nation. The student-managed Penn State Marketing Association hosted a fair for companies looking to fill marketing roles in their organizations, and the Actuarial Science Career Fair grew in size from the previous year. Additionally, more than 400 employers took part in Penn State Fall Career Days at the Bryce Jordan Center, an increase over the prior year.

“As recent rankings show, Penn State and Smeal are top recruiting destinations for companies seeking talented, hardworking students,” said Meg Handley, director of the Career and Corporate Connections Office at Smeal. “Our career fairs provide a great, one-stop opportunity for students to network with many organizations. And from day one of the fall semester, we are working with students to prepare them for the entire career search process, from resume development and career fair tips to interviewing skills.”

To recruit Smeal undergraduates for internship and co-op positions in your company, contact Career & Corporate Relations at smealcareers@smeal.psu.edu. To recruit Smeal MBAs for internships or full-time positions, contact Paul Poissant, director of MBA Employer Relations at pgp104@psu.edu. Additionally, if you would like to recruit fellow Smeal alumni, contact alumnicareerservices@smeal.psu.edu.

by Molly Graizzaro, senior majoring in public relations

In December, the Smeal College of Business announced the launch of its Alumni Career Services Office, assisting graduates who are in the midst of career transitions or have not yet been placed. This semester, Smeal is launching another new service for alumni—SmealConnect.

SmealConnect offers alumni-specific job postings from companies interested in hiring Smeal graduates. With their username and password, Smeal alumni can log into SmealConnect and search for job opportunities suited to their background and skills. Alumni may get started by accessing the complete SmealConnect registration instructions.

Corporate recruiters interested in posting job opportunities can also access SmealConnect just as they have in the past. This time, however, they may target recent graduates and more experienced hires.

In addition to the job postings, SmealConnect also offers a means for alumni to share their knowledge and advice with current undergraduate and MBA students.

“The system was very easy to sign up and navigate, I am sure that it will be a very useful tool in connecting students with alumni to maximize their learning experience,” says Mike Cocco ‘05.

Students may search for alumni who have offered to give advice and who have similar backgrounds and experiences, and reach out to them for advice. Students typically have questions about career decisions and other business topics. This virtual hub provides alumni, especially those who cannot return to campus, with a meaningful way to connect with the students.

Smeal alumni are also encouraged to join the college’s LinkedIn group: Penn State Smeal College of Business Alumni (Official). This group is intended to provide a platform where alumni can network virtually with other graduates. It is reserved exclusively for Smeal alumni.

For more information on SmealConnect, and to learn more about a variety of other ways to get involved, contact the Smeal Alumni Relations Office at alumni@smeal.psu.edu.

Smeal students gather to sign the Honor Code. More than 1,500 signatures were collected during the first week of classes this semester.

During the hustle and bustle of a new academic year at the Smeal College of Business, students, faculty, and administrators paused for a moment to support what has become an annual tradition at the college, the Honor Code signing. More than 1,500 signatures were collected as members of the Smeal community lined up to participate in a series of signings during the first week of classes, Aug. 27-31.

Among those to sign was Dean Charles H. Whiteman, the John and Becky Surma Dean of Smeal, who has made it a priority to promote the principles of honor and integrity to Smeal students now and as future business leaders.

“The Honor Code signing offers a simple but powerful message about what it means to be part of the Smeal community,” said Whiteman. “I was glad to see so many from across the college show an active sign of support to uphold the values that lay at the heart of our college.”

This commitment extended to the Smeal alumni community as well. Signings took place at regional alumni gatherings and events throughout the fall and will continue through the year to come.

“Our goal was to set the tone for the year ahead,” said Whiteman. “It was a chance to signal a commitment to honor now and in the future.”

Charles H. Whiteman, the John and Becky Surma Dean of Smeal, greets students at the Honor Code signing.

About the Smeal Honor Code

The honor code is the foundation of an academic integrity initiative at the college that traces its roots to 2006 when members of the Smeal community began working together to establish a code and related processes. The code reads:

We, the Smeal College of Business community, aspire to the highest ethical standards and will hold each other accountable to them. We will not engage in any action that is improper or that creates the appearance of impropriety in our academic lives, and we intend to hold to this standard in our future careers.

Bill Lane

Bill Lane ’75 Bus, ’79 Cap spends his days lobbying Congress to promote free trade and global development for U.S. companies. A 37-year employee of Caterpillar Corporation, he has spent the last 15 years as director of the company’s Washington office. His international trade expertise makes him a sought-after speaker and board member for industry and humanitarian organizations.

Lane traces his interest in international trade to his days as a Penn State business student. In the 1970s, studying abroad was still a relatively new concept at public universities, but Penn State had built a solid relationship with the University of Cologne in Germany. Lane spent much of his junior year there, an experience that would shape his future.

“The study abroad program changed my perspective,” he says. “I used to think doing business in New York or maybe Florida was an exotic notion. But after Penn State I realized you had to embrace international commerce and not hide from it.”

Lane’s career with Caterpillar confirmed lessons learned at Penn State. For U.S. companies to be successful globally, they needed to understand the values and cultures of those countries. Through his involvement as a volunteer recruiter for the Penn State Undergraduate Admissions Office and later as a member of the Smeal College of Business Alumni Society Board, he noticed that more students were studying abroad than ever before, yet the vast majority continued to study in the traditional destinations of Europe—Rome, Paris, London.

When Lane learned about an initiative to promote international internships to non-traditional destinations, he knew this was a positive step and something he wanted to support.

“The engine of future economic growth is in the developing world. Many students would benefit from studying in Lima over London or Johannesburg over Paris,” Lane says. “Mind you that’s not an easy sale. Just remember when you were 20 years old. But students who focus on high-risk, high-opportunity markets will have a unique skill set and first-hand experiences that will add value to their employers and lead to more satisfying careers. I see it every day in the work I do.”

Along with his wife Jan, a retired American Red Cross executive who also worked at CARE, Lane hopes to encourage students to pursue international internships in developing countries. They are providing financial assistance for travel and associated expenses through the William C. and Janet P. Lane Global Perspectives Endowment. Through the combination of a planned giving vehicle known as a charitable remainder unitrust (CRUT) and annual cash gifts, the Lanes are accomplishing a philanthropic goal and a personal financial goal simultaneously.

“Jan and I purposely came up on December 31 to make our commitment. We wanted to do it to show our support at such difficult time for Penn State. We have never been prouder of the Penn State alumni and students,” Lane says.

By working with Penn State’s Office of Gift Planning, the Lanes found that through a CRUT they could receive income each year for the rest of their lives plus some limited support for their heirs from assets given to the trust. At the end of their lives, the balance in the trust will go the Lane Global Perspectives Endowment, which will support international experiences for students in perpetuity.

Knowing that the charitable purpose of their CRUT would not be realized by students for many years, the Lanes decided to jump start the process for today’s students by making annual gifts for the college’s existing global internship opportunities. Caterpillar, Bill’s employer, matches their contributions. These funds provide Community Engagement and Development Program (CEDP) grants that student can apply for through the college’s Office of Career and Corporate Connections.

“It’s actually a heck of a deal! The combination of the planned gift and the cash gift provides a new income stream for you and your family while making an investment in Penn State students. And the payback is immediate,” Lane says. “We are already getting notes from students. You quickly realize that by providing a stipend you can help change lives for the better.”

One of the first recipients of a CEDP grant was Serkan Saka, a senior majoring in Marketing who is also president of Smeal’s International Business Association. Serkan used the grant to travel to Turkey for an intern position with Red River Foods, a firm that exports dried fruit and nuts all over the world. Headquartered in Richmond, VA, Red River Foods maintains a number of international offices, including the Malatya location in southeastern Turkey where Serkan spent the summer learning about apricots.

“My experience was different than a study abroad program,” Serkan said. “It was an international sales internship that brought me to the largest apricot-producing region in the world. I met with growers and learned their customs for doing business. I developed negotiation skills and learned to adapt to challenging situations. It was almost like a dream. The work I was doing I would never have imagined I could do as an intern.”

“The mentoring and encouragement that Bill provides to Smeal students make a real difference for them,” says Charles H. Whiteman, the John and Becky Surma Dean of Smeal. “I know Bill, and he is a free-market capitalist to his core. But he also realizes that philanthropic dollars are an investment in the future that opens even more doors for our undergraduates who want to venture outside their comfort zones for a meaningful work experience in the developing world.”

Back in early April in Iowa City, Charles Whiteman wore a blue- and white-striped tie to work amid a sea of black and gold. It was the first, private sign that he had accepted the offer to become the next dean of the Smeal College of Business.

Whiteman had spent more than 30 years at the University of Iowa, most recently as senior associate dean for the Tippie College of Business. That’s a lot of time to amass his own stock of black and gold gear—now donated to Goodwill. He has already started his new blue-and-white collection, and in July starts his job as the dean of Smeal. Before arriving in State College, he offered a brief glimpse into his approach as a leader and his perspectives on the opportunities ahead.

# # #

I would say that my style is to be very inclusive. I really enjoy working with other people on problems and thinking through issues. I want to do the best I can to surround myself with smart, energetic, engaged people, and give everybody the tools they need to drive the place forward. And in some cases I have found that the best thing to do is to get out of the way of those smart energetic people.

I learned early on that you can’t assume that people are going to speak their mind whenever their supervisors ask them to. And so I will work on establishing a culture where people understand that I really do mean it, that I want to know what they think.

I will be doing a lot of listening and a lot of meeting and greeting of people who are undoubtedly ready to help the place move on and take the next step. I’ve already been reaching out to supporters of the college and am nowhere near done with that process. But everyone with whom I have spoken is very supportive and eager to help out in any way they can with the transition and the next steps.

I’m just really eager to get to the point where it’s not just kind of, ‘hello, how are you, I’m the new dean,’ to, ‘hello, how are you, what can we do together?’

# # #

Virtually every group that I met with when I was interviewing at Penn State in February asked me, ‘Why Penn State?’ And I think that that was a more pregnant question than usual, given the timing of everything that happened last year. My reaction the first couple times I got asked this question was, ‘What, are you kidding? It’s Penn State.’ This is an excellent University and a great, great business college. Jim (Thomas) has taken great care of the place and moved it forward and really positioned Smeal in a terrific place.

One of the things that attracted me to Smeal was the opportunity to be part of an excellent school and to help take it to the next level. At one of the points of the interview process Jim said, ‘you know, this is the best job in the world right now.’ And I think he’s probably right. I’m really looking forward to getting there and taking it on.

# # #

There are so many dimensions on which alums are very important. It could be offering perspectives on trends in business education, what they see as a need in the workplace and letting us know; engaging with us in conversations about our students, identifying any areas that we need to work harder on in terms of how we’re preparing them for the workplace; helping with networks for our students—internships, employment possibilities—if not in their own companies then in the companies of business acquaintances; and so on.

Alums can come back and inform our students of what’s happening in the workplace, their own experiences, how their education helped them. Students, I think, should never tire hearing from a successful alum about how that finance class or that accounting class that was so difficult at the time turned out to be so crucial for a successful business career. And having the support of the alumni as dean, knowing that there are scores of people I can call on anytime to help out and give a talk or counsel a student, that’s very helpful.

Then, of course, the alumni base is very, very important for providing the kind of support that the college needs to go to the next level. Colleges of business need to have private support. We’re fortunate to have that from our alums and our other supporters.

So yes, I think alumni are very important. Penn State has an alumni base that’s probably unmatched by any place else. So it’s a great situation for a new dean to be coming into. There are so many people who are ready and willing to help the college to take the next step.

# # #

I’m looking forward to throwing myself into the work and really just getting to meet the whole community of college supporters and people on campus with whom I’ll be working. I’m ready to do that and eager to do that. It’s going to be not only my work but also my hobby for a while. That’s a very exciting possibility for me and I’m really looking forward to it.

Life at the Smeal College of Business has evolved in countless ways since 2006. The timeline below captures just some of the milestones and events from the past six years.

July 2006: James B. Thomas takes over as Smeal College of Business dean.

December 2006: The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), the research division of The Economist magazine, names Penn State Executive Programs as the top provider of customized executive education programs in the world.

# # #

January 2007: Leadership in Focus: Executive Insights, the college’s signature speaker series, kicks off with Joseph Amado of Philip Morris USA. The program continues to connect high-profile business leaders to students, faculty, and administrators at Smeal.

June 2007: Smeal and Penn State World Campus launch an online degree program in supply chain management, which emphasizes the problem solving and leadership skills critical to integrated supply chain planning and execution.

October 2007: The Princeton Review ranks Smeal No. 1 on its list of “Best Campus Facilities.” The annual review also includes the college on the “Best Professors” list.

# # #

January 2008: Smeal establishes a new research center: the Center for Sports Business and Research.

March 2008: CNBC’s hit investing show, “Mad Money,” films a live episode on Penn State’s University Park campus in front of hundreds of raucous Smeal students.

May 2008: The college’s Real Estate faculty ranks as the fourth most-published globally, with Brent Ambrose among the ten most-productive real estate academics worldwide.

September 2008: Smeal unveils its 2008-2013 strategic plan, which demands renewed commitment to providing extraordinary education, creating research with impact, building a dialogue with society, and fostering a community with distinction.

October 2008: Dean Thomas visits India to meet with leaders in government, business, and education and to explore partnerships between Smeal and Indian universities.

# # #

February 2009: Smeal forms a Sustainability Council to foster collaboration across the college on sustainability-related research and education.

February 2009: Twenty-seven Smeal MBA students travel to Nebraska to spend the day with Warren Buffett, chief executive officer of Berkshire Hathaway. The trip is part of Buffet’s regular outreach to students from the country’s leading MBA programs.

July 2009: Smeal Management faculty ranks No. 1 in research productivity according to a joint report from Texas A&M and the University of Florida.

November 2009: The Executive MBA Program at Smeal ranks among the top 50 programs worldwide according to Bloomberg Businessweek. The program is one of only two Philadelphia-based EMBA programs to be included in the magazine’s top 50.

# # #

April 2010: John and Elizabeth Surma commit $5 million to endow the Elizabeth L. and John P. Surma Jr. Dean’s Chair in Smeal. The endowment provides Dean Thomas and future leaders of the college with funds to benefit students by creating new scholarships, fellowships, and other education opportunities.

April 2010: Donald Hambrick, Smeal Chaired Professor of Management, is named an Evan Pugh Professor, the highest honor the University bestows on its faculty.

September 2010: Penn State is the No. 1 school in the country among recruiters from leading companies, nonprofits and government agencies, according to a survey by The Wall Street Journal.

# # #

March 2011: Smeal ranks No. 1 among all undergraduate business programs, according to recruiters surveyed by Bloomberg Businessweek.

June 2011: Smeal ranks No. 1 in undergraduate and graduate programs in supply chain management in the country, according to a report from Gartner.

July 2011: Smeal launches a new undergraduate major in Risk Management with three concentration options: Actuarial Science, Enterprise Risk Management, and Real Estate. The restructuring allows the college’s faculty to better meet the needs of current and future students who are interested in risk analysis in a variety of disciplines.

August 2011: The Smeal MBA Program ranks No. 10 among publicly supported business schools according to Forbes magazine.

October 2011: Smeal begins accepting applications for a new one-year Master of Accounting Program (MAcc), the follow-up to a five-year Integrated MAcc Program for Smeal students interested in earning both undergraduate and graduate degrees in accounting.

# # #

March 2012: Recruiters surveyed by Bloomberg Businessweek rank Smeal No. 1 for the second year in a row.

April 2012: Following a national search, Charles H. Whiteman is announced as the Elizabeth L. and John P. Surma Jr. Dean of Smeal, with plans to assume his post in July.