Another semester has just about ticked over since the last chair’s message from December. As May begins, there is a great deal of excitement in the air. Seniors are getting ready to graduate, faculty are getting final projects and exams graded (and getting ready for the summer!)—and it is an opportune time to pause and look back over the past academic year, as well as to look ahead at what’s in store for next year.
Foremost in my mind is the incredible achievement by our AMA Student Chapter, which just recently was selected as the number one overall student chapter (out of 390) at the 2019 AMA International Collegiate Conference in New Orleans. Our Chapter won seven awards altogether and was the talk of the conference. Congratulations to everyone in our fabulous AMA Chapter! Also, congratulations and many thanks to Dr. Craig Atwater, our AMA Faculty Advisor, as well as faculty co-advisors Drew Allmond and Jim Thompson.
As many of you are aware, 2019 is a pivotal year for the Fox School. Interim Dean Ronald Anderson has convened a Strategic Planning Task Force to set our priorities and chart our direction for the future of the school. Concordant with that, Dean Anderson has asked me to conduct a similar exercise for our Marketing and Supply Chain Management Department. This effort comes on the heels of an external review that was conducted by faculty and deans from Rutgers, the University of Delaware and the University of Washington. We look forward to receiving the report from the review team and to begin to implement some of their suggestions to strengthen our programs and our impact.
This spring we are in the process of completing a successful hiring campaign: We expect to welcome two new faculty members for Fall 2019, one in operations and supply chain management and one in quantitative marketing. These faculty members will provide a serious boost to those two important areas.
Finally, every year we have arrivals, departures and congratulatory news as well. This month we will host a goodbye reception for former department chair and long-time professor Dr. Michael Smith. We will miss you Mike! We are also sorry to say goodbye to Dr. Angelika Dimoka, who will be joining the University of Houston this summer. On a different note, I would like to congratulate Professor Katie Gerst on her appointment to be the Fox School’s next director of our Honors Program.
I’d like to wish everyone a great summer in whatever you do: Relaxing, traveling, getting sand in your shoes or even getting in some teaching, learning or research. Whatever you get done, let’s look forward to hitting the Fall with some recharged batteries!
Sheri Lambert, assistant professor of practice and the MS Marketing in Marketing Research and Insights program director, launched a new speaker series inviting undergraduate and graduate marketing majors to get up close and personal with industry experts.
Before joining MSCM full-time, Lambert taught as an adjunct in the MIS/MSCM joint MS in Digital Innovation in Marketing program, contributing to the MIS guest lecture webinar series which reaches undergraduate, graduate and alumni students of Marketing and Management Information Systems programs. The MIS and MCSM Departments’ lecture series has earned a nomination for this year’s FOX Impact Award.
Lambert says, “The Industry Guest Lecture Series helps BBA, MBA and MS students prepare to excel in the marketplace and succeed in whichever career path they may choose. Series positively impacts students’ learning and preparedness for entry into the business world.”
Students listened to engaging presentations from professionals in different industries with the following MSCM offerings:
- Nima Gohil, Digital & Creative Research Consumer Evaluation on “Customer centricity & Connected Research” for L’Oreal NA
- Michele Salomon, VP, Consumer Insights on “See What Matters: How Video is Transforming Research” for Big Sofa Technologies
- Molly Hayes-Global, Director of Brand Insights on “The Other Half: Reconnecting Women & Beer” for Anheuser-Busch InBev
- Anthony Pizzuto, Sr. Director, Days Inn Brand on “Hitting Reset: Making a 50-year old Brand Relevant Again” for Wyndham Hotels & Resorts
- Eleni McCready, Sr. Dir, Media & Promotions on “Authentic Storytelling” for Lilly Pulitzer
- Lori Bush, Entrepreneur and Retired CEO on “Let’s Get Phygital” for Rodan + Fields
Students see the value from the industry series and actively engage with the professionals at these events.
“As a student at the Fox School of Business, I have directly reaped the benefits of the Industry Guest Lecture Series with my peers. The professionals who have visited Temple University thus far have shared their stories behind cracking the code to some of modern marketing’s biggest challenges. Hearing these speakers helps individuals like myself make connections with business leaders. Another benefit of the speaker series is that it helps students draw parallels to what we are learning in the classroom and brings that content to life. It draws parallels that help bring classroom content to life. The hard work behind the scenes that goes into making this happen creates invaluable opportunities for the Fox community and opens doors to learn, gather advice and advance our careers,” says James Base, BBA ’19, president of the Temple University American Marketing Association.
“Sheri Lambert has completely exceeded and surpassed any expectation I could’ve ever imagined having at Temple University in the Marketing Department. She has brought real life into the classroom and expanded my knowledge by bringing Guest Lecturers to our campus,” says Isabel Paynter, senior, Marketing major.
When we bring experts onto campus, we continuously initiate impactful dialogue with industry professionals, who promote, stimulate and encourage additional conversations relevant to our classroom lessons. Each guest has offered a different perspective for students. They make learning about important issues more meaningful to students, and these discussions sparked excitement, as well as participation,” says Lambert.
MSCM thanks the presenters for their engaging programming and plans to open sessions to marketing alumni in the area, starting this fall. Please contact Nicole Stilianos at nstili@temple.edu to receive invitations.
Temple University American Marketing Association (TU-AMA) was named AMA International Collegiate Chapter of the Year in front of 1,700 marketers on April 13, 2019 at the 2019 AMA International Collegiate Conference in New Orleans, LA. Only two out of 390 collegiate chapters across the globe are awarded this honor each year in recognition of excellence in performance. TU-AMA will be inducted into the “Platinum Circle” for the following two academic years.
This is the first time that the TU-AMA received this award. In addition, Mary Conran, associate professor of practice, Temple University of Rome’s chief academic officer and President of the Marketing SPO in 1979, was named the Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient for her dedication to students and her engagement with AMA.
TU-AMA President James Base says, “Having served as President for the 2018-19 year, the honor to receive this award is a testament to the hard work of our Executive Board and the dedication of our general body members. This wouldn’t have been possible without the unwavering support we receive from the Fox School of Business community of faculty, department workers, students and alumni.”
From April 11th-13th, the TTU-AMA participated in the 41st Annual International Collegiate Conference held in New Orleans, LA. This year, more than ever, “Temple University” was called for several additional accomplishments, including:
- 1st Place in the Website Competition
- 1st Place in the “Best Social Impact Video” Competition
- 3rd Place in the Wall Street Journal Case Competition
- 3rd Place for the Conference Tee Shirt Design Contest
- John Parkinson, as a Perfect Pitch Competition Finalist
- Alison Wehr & Frank Romean, as Marketing Strategy Competition Finalists
- Tabby Miller, as a Student Research Poster Competition 2nd Place Winner
Department Chairman Dr. Ed Rosenthal says of TU-AMA’s achievements, “Every year we have a great group of kids—enthusiastic, dedicated and skilled—who grow into leadership roles and expend a great deal of time and energy in our Chapter. The activities they plan always enrich and add value to their development as marketers. It is always humbling to me to see the extent of their work ethic and devotion. It is always special to see, and it is not surprising, year after year, that our AMA chapter is always one of the top ones. But this year, [they] went and won the Championship!”
The Department of Marketing and Supply Chain Management is proud of our TU-AMA students!
The Fox School Celebrates Centennial Honorees
April 25, 2019 //
To honor those who have fueled our first 100 years, Temple University’s Fox School of Business has announced an A-Z list of honorees—entrepreneurs, visionaries, and disruptors—who helped shape the school and the business world since 1918.
The list includes some of the best minds to graduate from or become friends of the Fox School over the last century, such as a feared litigator; a female Air Force Reserve lieutenant colonel in World II; a Grammy award-winning producer, writer and musician; and a business executive for Nike. It also includes the inspirational stories of immigrants; candidates for political office; benefactors of education, healthcare and the arts; and many more.
“The Centennial Honorees succeeded over the past century because they were persistent and because they were innovators at heart,” said Ronald Anderson, interim dean, Fox School of Business. “Many of their stories contain consistent themes—including originality, service, and generosity. All of these people have impacted the Fox School in uniquely profound ways—through their involvement, commitment, and a strong belief in innovation.”
Meet the Centennial Honorees, get to know their inspirational stories and read their words of wisdom.
A professor from the Tyler School of Art and a Beasley Law School student won the $40,000 grand prize—as well as $20,000 for finishing in first place in their category—at Temple University’s Be Your Own Boss Bowl® (BYOBB®), which is housed in the Fox School of Business.
Olaitan Awomolo, who teaches architecture and design at Tyler, and her partner, Wesley Davis, a law school student and former community projects coordinator from Pittsburgh, developed BuildLAB as a collaboration and project management tool intended to bring together owners, architects, engineers and foremen. BuildLAB is an online platform for designing, task assigning and managing and a real-time cost and build-time dashboard.
According to Awomolo and Davis, projects run millions of dollars over projected costs because of changes and the miscommunication of those changes between design and construction.
“I wrote a dissertation on the topic (of architectural-engineering-construction collaboration) and I worked as an architect,” Awomolo says.
Davis said the pair plan to use the $60,000 in cash and services to help finish a pilot model of their software so they can take the next step toward putting it on the market.
“I was delighted to see the broad range of participants in today’s event. Lots of us sit home and think ‘I could do this’ and that’s how far that it goes,” says Temple University Provost Joanne Epps. “And what IEI does is help make those dreams a reality.”
The competition featured three tracks, with a first-place finisher in each earning a prize worth $20,000 in cash prizes:
- Social Impact Track Winner: Pay It Forward Live. Shari Smith-Jackson
BYOBB judges with Social Impact Track winner Shari Smith-Jackson. Credit: Chris Kendig Photography created the social media app for tracking volunteer hours for her teenage son and is hoping that game-ifying her app will spark more volunteerism and keep volunteers active.
- Undergraduate Track Winner: Mouse Motel. Essentially: a better mousetrap. Engineering student and graduating senior Paul Gehret made simple modifications to the common glue trap that he said has three times the effectiveness of its predecessor.
- Upper Track Winner: BuildLAB.
The audience at the live pitch event at Alter Hall on Temple’s main campus were able to vote for their favorite entry. MailRoom, an app designed by Fox School and Clemson University students, won the crowd favorite award. The app matches users with local businesses, such as coffee shops and bookstores, which contract to safely receive packages through delivery services.
The BYOBB® gave away more than $200,000 in prizes and services to help the participants get their businesses up and running.
Keynote speaker Adam Lyons, BBA ’09, received the Self Made and Making Others Award. Lyons started building The Zebra out of a friend’s basement before moving to an incubator and obtaining funding from billionaire investor Mark Cuban. The Zebra is an online insurance marketplace that reports millions in income each year.
Lyons is now engaged in several efforts to support entrepreneurship including Innovation Works, a seeding program that has invested in more than 200 startups, and The Lyons Foundation, which attempts to inspire entrepreneurship in children.
During his keynote address, Lyons spoke about using the naysayers as inspiration. He also said he ran into several chicken-and-egg type problems with The Zebra—companies wanted users signed up, but users were not going to sign up until there were companies involved. Lyons said he just kept scratching at both sides of the problem until it was solved.
He also said there is no skeleton key for the problems entrepreneurs face. Each case, each problem, each startup is different.
“I have started to think that entrepreneurship resembles art more than a science,” Lyons says. “I don’t think entrepreneurship is for everybody, but it is something you can be creative with. If you are passionate about a problem, you can be your own boss. You can make your own destiny.”
Learn more about the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Institute.
For more stories and news, follow the Fox School on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
A Class To Look Forward To
April 23, 2019 //
The bell rings each day at 3:10 p.m. and Cameron Johnson leaves school for the class she looks forward to the most.
Over the course of her day at the Freire Charter School on Chestnut Street in Center City, the 17-year-old high school junior goes to math, biology, English, Spanish and civics classes. They are good classes. But she leaves school for one more class each day.
“This class is about teaching us to think needfully and to try to make things different on a daily basis,” Cameron says. “It’s about trying to create new ideas instead of thinking, ‘I can’t do this.’”
She takes the trolley to 15th Street, hops on the Broad Street Line, rides the train to the Cecil B. Moore station and walks to the Fox School. It is a 25 to 40 minute journey that ends when she sits down with a handful of other students in the Creativity and Innovation class taught by Michelle Histand, assistant director of strategic management and experiential learning at the Fox School.
Twice a week, she and 14 students from Freire and TECH Freire Charter School, on the 2200 block of North Broad Street, join a dozen students from Temple, where they are tasked with identifying a problem, creating a solution and planning how to implement that solution. The class is a joint venture put together by the Fox School and the Freire Foundation, which runs several charter schools in the Philadelphia region.
The idea for the class started with a conversation between Debbie Campbell, senior vice dean at the Fox School, and Hilda Bacon, director of community partnerships and engagement at Build the Future Education Collaborative. The collaborative is a nonprofit organization aimed at building partnerships to enhance education opportunities at the Freire schools. Campbell and Bacon wanted to create a class that would give the Freire students the tools and confidence to succeed in college, and train the Temple students to be mentors and leaders.
“It is an opportunity at a local, well-known university,” Bacon says. “It is a comfortable situation and Temple is potentially accessible for most kids—a chance to give them the experience of what it is to be in school, to be in a college.”
Histand’s classes are hands-on and very team oriented. “This class is a chance for Temple students to put themselves in a leadership position, share their experience and guide and give feedback to their mentees,” Histand says. For the Freire students, it is a chance to get started in higher education. “When you put someone in that next level up, they have to perform at that next level up.”
The students are divided into pairs of mentors and mentees. Each team is working on a project together. One team is attempting to find a solution for the dearth of affordable, healthy food choices in North Philadelphia. Another team is designing an app that serves as an impartial local elections guide.
“If I had a class like this before I came to Temple, I would have been a lot more informed and not so unsure at the beginning,” Temple junior Jack Oatts, BBA ’20, says.
To get into the class, the Temple students had to write a letter to Histand, explaining why they wanted to be a mentor. The Freire students wrote an application and went through an interview process before being admitted to the program.
To enhance the course further, Campbell and Bacon are looking at adding several events, including a trip to a Philadelphia Phillies game and possibly visiting the rail park or a corporate partner. In April, Temple alumni and noted entrepreneur Adam Lyons, BBA ’09, was the first of what has evolved into a series of engaging guest speakers.
Campbell and Bacon envision growing the program. For Campbell, that means making the class, and possibly other general education classes, available to more high schools and more students. Bacon would also like to see similar programs across other schools in Philadelphia.
“This is about doing something for the community, for the city, for these kids,” Campbell says. “It is like Russell Conwell said, you have acres of diamonds in your backyard, you just have to find them. And we have all these schools in our backyard like Freire.”
For more stories and news, follow the Fox School on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Welcome To The Team, Robot
April 19, 2019 //
Credit: GIANT Food Stores
Everything around us seems to be getting smarter by the day—like smart refrigerators, driverless cars and robotic assistants. The “Internet of Things” (IoT), which is the internet-enabled network of everyday devices, has become prevalent in our lives, both inside and outside of the workplace. But with the rapid developments in recent technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), will these intelligent systems make human workforce redundant?
In other words: do we run the risk of being replaced by machines?
Paul Pavlou, Milton F. Stauffer Professor at the Fox School, argues that instead of replacing us, AI and humans will work side-by-side to address some of the bigger problems that neither can solve alone. Popularly referred to as “Augmented Intelligence,” this concept focuses on the assistive role of AI to improve human intelligence, rather than computers fully taking over our jobs.
Man vs. Machine
While computers have the ability to collect, aggregate and analyze an enormous amount of data, humans surpass machines when dealing with ambiguity, vagueness and incomplete information. Augmented Intelligence recognizes these complementary strengths and problem-solving capabilities of man and machine. “This collaborative interaction between human beings and computers arises when IoT collects the data and AI tools perform calculations based on criteria determined by humans,” says Pavlou, who is also the co-director of Temple’s university-wide Data Science Institute.
For example, GIANT Food Stores has introduced “Marty,” a robotic assistant, to the 172 stores in Philadelphia and the surrounding region. The robot roams the store, seeking to identify and eliminate spills from foods, products or liquids. Other examples can be found in the retail industry, where location-based technology devices and eye-tracking devices can help optimize the placement of merchandise. Meanwhile, salespeople equipped with mobile devices can leverage personalized information in real-time to sell products customized to individual shoppers.
A More Human IoT
In the future of work, managers can embrace both the fully-automated and Augmented Intelligence solutions. This choice depends on factors such as the nature of the task, expected performance and the costs and risks of autonomous IoT solutions that would operate without any human interventions. For example, automated manufacturing, predictive maintenance and security IoT solutions may—cautiously—be fully automated. But in industries like healthcare, cybersecurity and financial technology, human oversight will still be crucial.
For the time being, appropriate IoT designs should maintain a reasonable level of human control and oversight, says Pavlou. “This will give us adequate time to get comfortable with delegating control to machines.” In the distant future, machines alone might dominate decision-making in most applications. However, Pavlou says, “It will be a fairly long time until this happens. Until then, major intellectual advances will be made by humans and computers working together.”
Learn more about Fox School Research.
For more stories and news, follow the Fox School on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Kay & Kay Group Is In The Business of Friendship
April 17, 2019 //
When they met as freshmen in Hardwick Hall, Khadijah “Kay” Robinson, BBA ’04, and Kiana “Kay” Muhly, BBA ’03, had no way of knowing that they would grow and flourish as best friends and business partners.
During their time at the Fox School, they honed their skills, Kiana in accounting and Khadijah in marketing and entrepreneurship. They were both very involved with the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA), a student professional organization (SPO). During their time in the organization, with Khadijah on the board and Kiana serving as the president of NABA, they worked together to expand the reach of the SPO, recruiting members who were not strictly pursuing careers in accounting but were looking to enhance their professional network and skills.
After graduation, Kiana began working in one of the big four accounting firms and became a licensed CPA in Pennsylvania. She gained real-world experience in internal and external audits with companies of all sizes, including an international nonprofit. Then, she left the corporate world to focus on her family and smaller business ventures. Khadijah built a successful career in procurement, project management and most recently working in real estate for the U.S. General Services Administration in Philadelphia.
Kiana and Khadijah remained close, bonded by friendship and a shared entrepreneurial spirit. As their individual careers took shape, so did their company Kay & Kay Group, a joint venture that they founded in 2014. The mission of the company is to create innovative products that function easily and solve everyday problems.
Their flagship product, Aqua Waterproof Headwear, was inspired by a common challenge that women face whenever a vacation or a rainy day rolls around: a fashionable way to go swimming or enjoy life without getting their hair wet. Once they had the idea to develop stylish, breathable and completely waterproof headwear, they did research and found that there was nothing else like it on the market.
“We knew that we had a hit after talking through our idea with friends, family and focus groups. It resonated with everyone,” they say. “Not just African American women, but women across all walks of life. When we went to file a patent, even the agent loved the concept for Aqua Waterproof Headwear.”
They note that the key to their success while juggling their own families and careers is to treat Kay & Kay Group not as a side project or hobby, but as a business in its own right. Kiana and Khadijah have weekly meetings to discuss tasks, brainstorm new ideas and ensure that all “i’s are dotted and t’s are crossed when it comes to the quality and legitimacy of their product.
“We work together well,” Kiana says. “I am all business. I take care of the accounting and licensing, and I am very strict. Khadijah is so creative and is great at connecting with people and building relationships. Our skills support and complement each other.”
When it comes to the future of their business, they are tight-lipped about the details but say, “We are going to waterproof everyone’s lives.”
For more stories and news, follow the Fox School on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Business consultants are problem solvers and, oftentimes, fortune tellers. With the rise of technology in industries such as cybersecurity, healthcare and information technology, consultants have become even more popular because they can help organizations address current and future challenges based on insights, market analysis, resource optimization and more.
The Temple University Management Consulting Program (TUMCP)’s Temple Consulting Club recently partnered with the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Institute (IEI)’s Women’s Entrepreneurial Association to host a panel discussion with the theme of “Women in Consulting.” The four panelists, Daniella Colleta, Gail Blauer, Jessica Podgajny and Katie Stellard have a wealth of knowledge and experience in the field. We caught up with them to ask what they wish they had known in their 20s, and for any advice they have for women in the consulting field.
Never Shy Away From a Challenge
As an advisory manager at Grant Thornton LLP, Daniella Colleta deploys company-wide change management programs to expose employees to new ways of working. Additionally, she leads with a people-first strategy in order to reinforce new behaviors and achieve collaboration across people, processes and technologies.
“It is never too early to begin building a network of peers, advocates and mentors,” Colleta says. “Don’t shy away from those who challenge you. This will pay off dividends and the power of relationships should never be underestimated. Plus, there’s always much to learn and doing it with and around those you enjoy is the real reward.”
Nurture and Grow Natural Strengths
With twelve years of experience, Blauer specializes in business process improvement, business strategy, business transformation and business process outsourcing (BPO). Currently, she serves as the managing director of Deloitte Consulting.
“Be your authentic self. Often we are told that we have a characteristic that other people don’t find appealing, but that is who we are,” she explains. “I have always been assertive and aggressive, and I go after what I want. When I went to graduate school around the age of 22, I tried to suppress my natural assertiveness. As I have grown in my career, I realized it was something to nurture and grow. I advice young women to embrace the natural strengths that other people think are weaknesses.”
Move Feelings of Intimidation to the Backseat
In early 2017, Podgajny founded Blink Consulting, a firm that helps companies with culture, strategic planning, organizational change and design. She is a seasoned leader, passionate about partnering with both established and emerging organizations to catalyze growth. She has a track record of high-energy, high-touch and high-ROI result that have created long-lasting corporate legacies.
“When looking back on what I wish I’d known early in my career, two things come to mind. The first is to bring your whole self to work,” Podgajny says. “Initially, I kept my personal life and work life very separate until I realized that sharing more about myself as a whole person created room for building strong, meaningful working relationships with colleagues and clients. The second is to remember that ‘the boss’ or senior ranking leaders in the company are really just people. They likely don’t have all the answers and have their own strengths and weaknesses. The advice: Move your feelings of intimidation out of the way and have authentic dialogues with all colleagues regardless of their level. It will go a long way!”
Build a Network of Advocates and Colleagues
As a senior manager at Navigate Corporation, Stellard primarily focuses on project management office (PMO); and project and program management. With twenty years of experience in management consulting, she specializes in many sectors of the industry including, pharmaceutical, manufacturing, higher education and real estate.
“My advice to a just-starting-out consultant would be to build a network of peers and mentors that are working in your areas of interest and learn from their experience. They may also serve as your greatest advocates and center you as you navigate your career, even through job changes and challenges along the way.”
If you are interested in pursuing a career in consulting or entrepreneurship, learn more about the Fox Strategic Management department.
For more stories and news, follow the Fox School on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
For the first time ever, the Fox School of Business is coming to a city near you! During the 2019-2020 academic year, we are hosting a series of events called Fox on the Road in Delaware, New Jersey, New York and Maryland. The goal of these sessions is to offer professional development and career services and to bring the Fox alumni community together in their own backyards.
The events will feature a keynote speaker to present on a hot industry topic and will focus on providing opportunities for Fox graduates to learn from and connect with their fellow alumni.
If you have any questions or ideas about how to make this event series more valuable for you, email Stephanie Nissen, director of student experience and alumni engagement, stephanie.nissen@temple.edu.
Coming soon: Details on speakers, cities and more.
When you graduate, you automatically become a member of the Fox School of Business Alumni Association (FSBAA). This membership means you’re eligible for many benefits, resources, and opportunities at the school. There are also alumni events locally and across the country that bring the Fox community together for professional development, networking and comradery.
Click here to learn more about how to get involved in the Fox alumni network.
The Maguire Foundation is Funding Scholarships at Temple University and the Fox School of Business
April 8, 2019 //
Grants Create Scholarships for Risk Management and Insurance Majors and Maguire College School Scholars at Temple University
PHILADELPHIA, April 8, 2019 – A $2.75 million commitment from the Maguire Foundation will help undergraduate students at Temple University in need of financial aid pursue undergraduate degrees, excel in their courses and graduate with less debt. This will provide permanent financial support to Temple Students who are Maguire Scholars.
The commitment includes $1.5 million to go to undergraduate students at Temple University’s Fox School of Business who are pursuing majors in Risk Management and Insurance in the form of the Maguire Business Scholars Program. Another $1.25 million is set aside for the Maguire College Scholars program, which benefits Temple University students coming from one of the Maguire High School partners.
“The Foundation is committed to ensuring that gifted college students in need of financial aid are positioned to succeed at Temple through the Maguire Scholars Program, and at the Fox School of Business through the Maguire Business Scholars Program,” says Megan Maguire Nicoletti, Maguire Foundation President and CEO. “The establishment of the Maguire Endowed Scholars Programs will allow students now and for years to come to discover their full potential for service and achievement and potentially pursue a career in an industry that has been so fulfilling to my father and my family.”
The Maguire College Scholars program will benefit academically strong students with high financial need for all four years of college. The foundation is involved in funding education and scholarships from Pre-K through higher education.
“This significant financial support from the Maguire Foundation has a tremendous impact on our students, allowing them to focus on their studies as they prepare for lucrative careers,” says Richard M. Englert, president of Temple University. “The Maguire Foundation has a long history as a leader in improving opportunities for deserving individuals. At Temple, we are grateful to have such a strong relationship with the Maguire Foundation and thankful for this investment in our Fox School students.”
The business school scholarships will benefit at least five Risk Management and Insurance students as they focus on the core classes in their major.
“Scholarships do more than make education affordable for at-need students,” says Interim Dean Ronald Anderson, of the Fox School of Business and the School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management. “The Maguire Scholars and Maguire Business Scholars programs put students in a position to pursue their career with less debt when they graduate. Scholarships like the Maguire Foundation offerings put students in a position to succeed, not only in school, but also when they enter the job market.”
Sam Belkowitz, BBA ’19, said the Maguire Scholars program enabled him to excel at the Fox School.
“It allowed me to really focus on my studies,” Belkowitz says. “I have been able to really succeed in my coursework at Temple. I have a 3.95 GPA and a big part of that is I did not have to worry about making money while going to school.”
Belkowitz has benefitted from the scholarship since the spring semester of his junior year at Temple, when he pursued his major in Risk Management and Insurance. He said after graduation he will hit the job market with less debt, enabling him to aim for a job he really wants.
“One big thing is just the opportunity to really pursue what I want to do and not have to worry about paying off my loans so much,” Belkowitz says.
Sandra Michel, BS ’19, said she would not have been able to pursue her degree without the Maguire scholarship. Michel, who graduated from Archbishop Prendergast in 2015, has benefitted from the scholarship all four years at Temple University.
She will graduate with a degree in recreational therapy from Temple University’s College of Public Health and hopes to pursue a master’s degree while working with people who have mental health challenges.
“The scholarship is a good impetus to stay involved in social work and active in the community,” Michel says. “And it takes a huge financial burden off me and my family.”
The foundation is making the contributions to both programs over a five-year period in order to establish a permanent endowment at Temple University. The money is being added to a series of contributions the Maguire Foundation has made to the school since 2013, when the Maguire Scholars program began at Temple University with a commitment to students studying risk management and insurance.
About the Maguire Foundation
The Maguire Foundation is a nonprofit organization that invests in education, the arts and humanities and fighting hunger and homelessness. The foundation funds scholarships as 31 different universities and colleges.
The foundation was established on Oct. 2, 2000 by James and Frances Maguire. James Maguire is the founder and chairman emeritus of Philadelphia Consolidated Holding Corporation, which includes the subsidiaries Maguire Insurance Agency, Tokio Marine Specialty Insurance Company and Philadelphia Indemnity Insurance Company. He is a Korean War veteran and graduate of Saint Joseph’s University.
About the Fox School of Business
Temple University’s Fox School of Business is the largest, most comprehensive business school in the Philadelphia region and among the largest in the world, with more than 9,000 students, 220 full-time faculty and 60,000 alumni around the globe. The Fox School has a proud tradition of delivering innovative, entrepreneurial programs for the past 100 years. With facilities that provide access to market- leading technologies, the school fosters a collaborative and creative learning environment. Coupled with its leading student services, the Fox School ensures that its graduates are fully prepared to enter the real-world job market. Learn more at fox.temple.edu. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
Meet NAO.
NAO came to Temple University about three years ago, when Li Bai and Carole Tucker, researchers from the Colleges of Engineering and Public Health, and, joined Heidi Grunwald, director of Temple’s Institute for Survey Research, to study robotics and surveys.
The team wanted to explore a big idea: What if NAO, this cute, two-foot tall, human-ish robot, could be programmed to give health surveys to children on the autism spectrum? Could they create a system to collect patient-reported outcomes in this tough-to-survey population?
Potentially, this research could solve a number of difficult problems. Currently, its parents fill out surveys on behalf of their kids. Researchers would prefer patient-reported outcomes. It’s much more accurate than information filtered through a third party, such as a parent. “Kids with autism may be willing to say they are depressed, but not in front of their mother,” says Tucker. When a one-foot-tall robot with a cute robotic voice such as NAO is asking questions instead of a human clinician, researchers might get reliable patient-reported outcomes in a way they have not been able to in the past.
The team’s research would also include another stream of valuable information: para-data. The camera inside the robot would “watch” the subject as NAO asked the survey questions. Additionally, via the sensor the subject wears (a Microsoft wristband), researchers can monitor things like facial expression, heart rate, and body motion. This para-data is a rich vein of knowledge, particularly when combined with the survey questions, response time, and answers.
If the subject pauses an extra long time when a certain question is asked, the NAO can play a game (like rock, paper, scissors), take a break, or give a high five to reduce anxiety. This is one way that the robot uses para-data to adapt to a child’s answers. The para-data also helps the researchers better understand survey responses. “For example, we can tell if a particular question made a subject nervous and then down-weight the answer, or not count it,” explains Grunwald.
“The robot’s face is much less complex than a human face and human facial expressions,” says Tucker. That makes it much less overwhelming for a young person on the autism spectrum who may find it challenging to read people’s faces and maintain eye contact.
Their project received funding through the Office for the Vice President of Research’s Targeted Grant Program at Temple University, with matching funds from all three represented schools.
Planning the research has been an iterative process. On the computer science side, Bai and his engineering students have been exploring the feasibility of using NAO this way. Bai and the students have been answering questions like, “What features would be nice? How can we use sensors to pull in data and incorporate the Microsoft band?” They have iterated and refined the data architecture, a database where the data are meshed together so that the robot can read all of the survey response data–coupled with the para-data (sensor data).
Meanwhile, the questionnaire and para-data collection process have been tested on different groups, starting with older kids not on the autism spectrum. As trial subjects, children aged 10 and up can provide specific, meaningful feedback on interacting with NAO. More recently, a community event brought a group of children on the autism spectrum to campus, and the team had an opportunity to see NAO interact with the intended study subjects. Going forward, they have the kind of pilot data that can win the funding to drive this effort forward.
This work can benefit groups beyond younger people on the autism spectrum. Any time data reported directly from a patient may be skewed or inaccurate—such as dementia patients, for example—the survey methods used in this work could prove enormously helpful to clinicians.
“With future improvement in this type of research, I think we will see more robotic diagnostic platforms that will be developed. One of the functionalities will be surveys of the patients about their health conditions. It could be particularly important for people who can not find a good hospital in their neighborhood,” says Bai.
Practical applications of this work in the future aren’t limited to the realms of research and medicine by any means. “Artificial intelligence and robotics will be the next technology push to drive the economy of our country, There will be countless business world applications—such as personal robotic assistants (such as the iPhone’s Siri) or self-driving cars,” says Bai. He believes that the technology in this project will fuel innovations across all sectors of the economy in the years to come.
This story was originally published in On the Verge, the Fox School’s flagship research magazine. For more stories, visit www.fox.temple.edu/ontheverge.
Since December 2013, online job postings for statisticians and data science professionals have risen by 256%, according to the Indeed Hiring Lab. These in-demand “super analysts” are able to do deep dives into quantitative analysis. In response to that trend, the Fox School of Business has developed a 30-credit Master of Science in Statistics and Data Science with full-time and part-time options.
With this new degree, the school will help students and future graduates take advantage of the increasing number of job opportunities in this emerging career area. The Fox MS in Statistics and Data Science is built for students who want to develop in-depth statistical knowledge. These lessons are paired with a modern and data-focused educational experience, with a curriculum full of opportunities to develop critical thinking skills in the context of real-world problems in the industry.
“The primary mission of this new program is to graduate students with the highest levels of quantitative understanding,” says Eric Eisenstein, director of marketing and supply chain management graduate programs. “We are preparing them for highly specialized positions in business.”
Courses will cover statistics, business intelligence, data analytics, data mining, big data engineering, program management, causal learning and discovery, and machine learning. As a result of the program, statistics and data science professionals will understand prescriptive, descriptive, and predictive analytics, and will be able to embrace these technologies as they evolve. They will learn how to use cutting-edge analytical tools and software, as well as enhance their communication skills in order to translate modern data into insights for decision makers.
Students also participate in a three-credit capstone course designed to integrate “real world” problems into the curriculum. During the project, organizations will explain a data-driven challenge and partner with a student who will identify, estimate, evaluate, and communicate analytic solutions. Students may work on problems associated with their job at their current employer, while others will work in teams as consultants to a sponsoring corporation.
“The curriculum and the professors teaching the courses will put the Fox School on the map for thought leadership and innovation within the field of data science,” says Eisenstein.
Learn more about the new Master of Science in Statistics and Data Science.
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How Three MBA Students Transformed Coursework Into a Business
April 3, 2019 //
A little over a year ago, Joël Da Piedade, Nassera Seghrouchni, and Habibou Djima met as classmates in their Fox Executive MBA program in Paris, France. Today, they are business partners. These three EMBA graduates decided to take the work from their capstone project and create an actual consulting company.
“Our capstone customer was the COO of a French [tourism] organization,” explains Nassera. “We rapidly developed a consulting relationship while doing the strategic audit. We enjoyed the collaboration together, how we managed the challenges constructively to successfully help the COO transform his organization and manage the risks.”
Throughout their experience working on the capstone project, Joël, Nassera, and Habibou soon realized the market need for a dynamic tourism consulting firm. The group researched several existing companies experiencing similar challenges faced by their capstone customer. This demonstrated there was a significant opportunity coming to fruition.
The most impactful part of the group’s capstone experience was the individual relationships they created. Joël quotes the group-spirit, learning from his classmates, and challenging each other as the most memorable part of his capstone experience. “Each of us was engaged to deliver the best [product] and help each other.” The support provided by their teammates gave the group the confidence to take their capstone project to the next level and launch their company.
“Axiom Et Associes is a consulting firm in strategy and transformation,” says Nassera. “The goal is to help organizations such as SMEs [and] non-profits define and implement their strategies and transform by being innovative, ambitious and pragmatic. Axiom Et Associes provides consulting and solutions in transformation (360, digital), customer experience, operation excellence, and business development strategies.”
Learn more about the Fox Executive MBA program.
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On the Verge- Data Science 2018
April 1, 2019 //
Massive amounts of data are created each day. With more than ever available at our fingertips, we need help to make sense of it all. The field of data science unites researchers across disciplines, who extract knowledge from unfathomable quantities of datasets. Whether helping business executives make data-driven decisions, advertisers target likely customers, or teachers identify knowledge gaps in students, the data scientists at the Fox School sort through the noise to discover groundbreaking insights. Learn how in the Fox School’s flagship research magazine On the Verge featuring Data Science.
Featuring articles on:
What Happens If Work Follows You Home
A Hashtag Worth A Thousand Words
How a Robot Reaches Kids on the Autism Spectrum
A Friend of a Friend: Expanding Peer Influence
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