Helping Solve Big Problems Through Translational Mentoring and Research

In the past several years we have focused our School on two key themes: (1) Creating an environment of support and mentoring that enhances student learning and (2) Applying our faculty’s exceptional skills of discovery/research to take on big, meaningful problems.

Our students and their families expect us to be creative and dedicated in focusing on their success as students and their success in a lifetime of evolving careers. I am proud to say that the UAB School of Business faculty and staff are daily focused on the real needs of students. We measure our progress on this critical School theme by the use of well developed “Assurance of Learning” (AOL) tools—we inspect what we expect, and then take steps to make improvements where needed. Our accrediting organization (AACSB) calls this key last step “completing the loop” of AOL.  Nationally, thought leaders and key educational observers are concerned that a big, meaningful problem for this economy is not having enough well educated employees with the technical, behavioral, and management skills needed for growth in the 21^st century.  We are completing the loop of AOL with new/revised and rigorous classes that add to our students’ skills in quantitative analysis, communication, rapidly changing technical areas, and critical thinking. We understand the importance of these efforts to the economic success of the many communities we serve. We call this translational mentoring and learning as we transition our students from great potential to productive leaders of commerce and society.

Our second key School theme is a dedication to participating with the many areas of research excellence at UAB—to address big, meaningful social, economic, commercial and health problems.  Cross-disciple research at UAB is imbedded in the DNA of this exceptional institution of discovery. The solutions to Big Problems need many skills. The skill we in the School of Business bring to the process is more concentrated in what is today called translational research—how to materially move great discoveries/research findings far more rapidly into the communities of need.  In the world of commerce, we study and implement creative ways to speed up the movement of awesome intellectual property created by UAB’s many exceptional scientists and engineers—move it from the “bench” of a lab into the communities we serve. We are also focused on commercializing these great discoveries and improved processes. We are building a team of teacher-scholars with real world experiences in creating and growing new companies—new companies that will create high paying jobs  and tax revenue in Birmingham and the region. And we will soon be telling you more of our plans to create a multi-million dollar philanthropic private equity fund to be jointly managed by the Schools of Business and Medicine. This fund will provide proof of concept capital to aspiring UAB entrepreneurs.

Plans for Growth and Innovation

During the last 15 months, the School of Business undertook an intense strategic planning process. We were aided in this process by an exceptional retired academic leader, Dr. Doyle Williams, former dean of the Walton School of Business at the University of Arkansas and former dean of the School of Accountancy at the University of Southern California. As a result of monthly all-faculty meetings, monthly department meetings, and four faculty/staff task forces, we formulated five key goals: 

•      Goal 1.  Meet UAB institutional goals on 50% student enrollment growth and material improvement in graduation rates

–     By promoting innovative programs of excellence for student recruiting, retention and graduation.

–     By stimulating growth of a diverse student body through high quality instruction that enhance student learning and success.

–     By developing and implementing a school-wide communication and branding plan to support our mission and strategy.

•      Goal 2.  Promote faculty and staff development

–     By investing in our faculty and staff to ensure a high-quality work environment that encourages professional development and ensures our faculty build and maintain their stature in their academic disciplines.

–     By identifying faculty and staff hiring needs along with potential sources of revenue to support recruitment and development.

•      Goal 3.  Promote a unified and inclusive culture

–     By breaking down artificial barriers and silos across departments and programs to create a unified culture and commitment to the School.

•      Goal 4.  Expand value-added partnerships

–     By building many partnerships with external stakeholders including: UAB Schools and programs, other universities in our geographic region, Industry and Funding agencies.

•      Goal 5.  Maintain a strong financial position

–     By leveraging programs and outreach that provide strong financial operating leverage.

–     By raising significant amounts of development funds to support the school’s major capital investment needs.

In addition to these key strategic goals, a wide group of faculty and other school constituents developed very specific action steps/tactics (with timelines) to achieve each goal. In coming blogs we will keep you informed on our progress and how you can assist in this strategic process of growth and innovation.

Professor Ollie Powers, An Exceptional UAB Servant Leader

Ralph Waldo Emerson’s quote “Great men exist that there may be greater men” is the opening line in a biography of George C. Marshall, Solider Statesman Peacemaker, written by Jack Uldrich. This is an excellent book on servant leadership recommended to me by personal friend and friend of UAB, Charles Collat. I bring this to your attention not as a book critic, but as the opening line of my note about Professor Ollie Powers, an exceptional UAB servant leader, and his recently announced retirement.

In his 36+ years at UAB, Ollie has made numerous contributions in teaching, service, and publications to the profession. In other ways and in other places, we will provide long lists of his many professional accomplishments—items that give Ollie a very long and valued professional CV. Today, we want to celebrate Ollie as that exceptional and kind man who has always focused on others. His gift of compassion is matched with a willingness to ask faculty and students to stretch beyond their comfort levels of performance and find that extra gear needed to overcome a challenge or frustration.

Ollie lives a caring life and exceptional career focused on asking students to go to work, inviting them in ways that stimulate a passion for excellence. When Ollie asks students to come join “the work”, there is no doubt that he will be there to aid, nurture, and challenge them. The work he asks of his students leads them not just to success in accounting, but to success as caring folks who know how to help others. They, along with many of us, learn by watching Ollie!

We will celebrate Ollie’s career at UAB in many ways in the coming months. More news will follow. We encourage you to celebrate his positive influence on thousands of lives by continuing his example of asking others to go to work as a competent professional and servant leader, and by matching that with Ollie’s example of compassionate help and encouragement. There is no doubt he is living a life of helping others to be great, and in ways they never dreamed possible.

Launching Leader to Leader Series

Alan Fishman, cofounder and chairman of Beech Street Capital, has had a long and distinguished career in banking and finance. He was named chairman and CEO of Independence Community Bank in 2001 and, after its merger in 2006, appointed president and COO of Sovereign Bank. During the financial crisis, he served briefly as CEO of Washington Mutual Bank.

Next month, Alan will share his thoughts on his industry and on leadership in the first installment of the School of Business’ new Leader to Leader Breakfast Series.

The series starts October 3, 2011 at the Alys Stephens Center (from 7am to 8:15 am) and continues through summer 2012, bringing top-level corporate leaders together to discuss current business issues and trends. Our speakers are all either School of Business alumni or business leaders who are committed friends of our School. For the 2011-12 series, these will include:

• Daryl Byrd, President and CEO of IBERIA Bank

• Declan O’Beirne, Vice President and CFO of John Hancock Financial Services

• Michael F. Golden, President and CEO of Smith & Wesson Holding Corp.

• Susan Story, President and CEO of Southern Company Services

• William M. Walker, Chairman, President and CEO of Walker & Dunlop

These exceptional innovators represent a variety of experience and industries, but all share the UAB School of Business’ commitment to leadership and service. We are thrilled to be able to engage the business community with this leadership series, and hope it stimulates a broader dialogue on important issues of our complex times.

If you have any questions or would like additional information please call my office, 205.934.8800. You may also contact Erik Kahill at the School of Business, kahill@uab.edu or 205.996.5399.

Changing Lives Through Service-Learning

I recently had the pleasure of visiting Wilcox County, Alabama to see first-hand the unique and life changing service learning project of six UAB School of Business students and their two exceptional faculty members—matched with a diverse group of twenty high school students. This is one of two highly significant School of Business service-learning projects ongoing this summer that is using experiential hands-on learning to truly touch lives in many special ways.

While helping to lead a UAB discussion on economic growth and health issues last fall, I was privileged to meet a group of community leaders from Wilcox County. They urged me to visit their beautiful county to discuss ways the School could assist with their economic challenges. Along with Associate Dean Eric Jack and several respected School of Medicine faculty and staff members, we travelled to Wilcox County and spent a day experiencing the natural beauty and gaining a better understanding of the economic issues of this area.

After reviewing the needs in the area, the School committed to engage our students and faculty in a project to stimulate entrepreneurial activities in Wilcox County. After significant planning, led by instructor and executive-in-residence Mickey Gee, six UAB students (Olu Dosunmu-Ogunbi, Calvin Burchfiel, Daniel Owens, Gabrielle Hood, Eboni Thomas, Lewinale Harris and Derrick Strong) and two faculty members (Nathan Oliver and Jacob Gelber) arrived in Camden, Alabama on July 18^th to work with a group of diverse high school students (10 from the public school and 10 from the private school), along with a teacher from each high school. They spent the next two weeks working together to revamp several local web sites and implement social networking tools to: (1) Stimulate the sale of local artwork including magnificent quilts and baskets and (2) Create excitement in the state and region to attract more tourists to the beauty and natural resources of Wilcox County. This fall they will continue the efforts related to online social networking/marketing as well as developing a preliminary plan for a small business incubator. The $40,000 cost of this project was paid by the School of Business—as an investment in service learning and a life-changing experience for 30 students and four faculty members.

Back in Birmingham, a group of 20 UAB students, under the guidance of Professor Steve Yoder, continue to work on distributing $250,000 in grants and forgivable loans to individuals and families suffering from tornado damage. A group of very generous anonymous local community leaders donated the funding to UAB and asked that the forgivable loan program (insert hyperlink) be managed by the School of Business and used as a service learning experience for students. This project will continue into the 2011/2012 academic year.

We are taking our skills and passions into the real world of hurts and hopes. Our students are changing lives, including their own. We are proud! The many fruits of these and other service learning experiences through the School will continue to be reported to you in future messages.

Expanding Scholarship that Enhances Teaching and Service

The School has been active over the past few years in expanding our scholarship with the purpose of becoming a school internationally recognized not only for its exceptional teaching and professional and community interactions, but also for our life and industry changing research. Excellent universities serve many constituencies and do not sacrifice, but enhance the quality of their many missions. Our world-class UAB Academic Medical Center (AMC) is a classic example of scholarship excellence that facilitates and enhances the teaching and service components of a university.

Using AMC as a role model, the UAB School of Business has spent the last several years taking steps to raise the bar on research that is imperative to the growing recognition as a destination school, while balancing the simultaneous and complementary critical focus on excellence in teaching and service:

(1) We have dedicated added resources in support of on-going faculty research-with over $200,000 of added annual funding for research data and summer research grants.

(2) In the last 30 months we have recruited 17 new teacher-scholars, exceptional faculty from top-tier Schools of Business such as The University of Missouri, Florida State, U Mass, Georgia Tech, The University of Georgia, Texas Tech, and the University of Illinois. And like many of our respected scholars who are also exceptional teachers and mentors to industry - a previous blog post discussed the excellence of Dr. Tom Powers as a true teacher-scholar over a 25-year career at UAB - the new teacher-scholars also bring many years of industry experience that facilitate their contribution to the experiential learning of our students.

(3) We have materially expanded the participation of our faculty in healthcare research with several business faculty members now actively participating in major healthcare research efforts and grants in the School of Medicine. These scholars are following the example set by Professor Emeritus Dr. Jack Duncan, an exceptional long-standing healthcare scholar in the School of Business.

Find more about UAB’s commitment to civic engagement, service learning and research from UAB President Dr. Carol Garrison.