b e t a g a m m a s i g m a . o r g | 1

THE INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE OF BETA GAMMA SIGMA SPRING2016

How Service Changes the Brain | Sharon Nir’s The Opposite of Comfortable | Member Profile: Amit Lal

Getting BetterAn optimistic future for healthcare

Stephen Klasko, MD, MBABGS International Honoree

Some discounts, coverages, payment plans and features are not available in all states or all GEICO companies. GEICO contracts with various membership entities and other organizations, but these entities do not underwrite the offered insurance products. Discount amount varies in some states. One group discount applicable per policy. Coverage is individual. In New York a premium reduction may be available. GEICO may not be involved in a formal relationship with each organization; however, you still may qualify for a special discount based on your membership, employment or affi liation with those organizations. Homeowners and renters coverages are written through

non-affi liated insurance companies and are secured through the GEICO Insurance Agency, Inc. GEICO is a registered service mark of Government Employees Insurance Company, Washington, D.C. 20076; a Berkshire Hathaway Inc. subsidiary. GEICO Gecko image © 1999-2016. © 2016 GEICO

Beta Gamma Sigma members could save even more money on GEICO car insurance with a special discount. Tell GEICO you are a Beta Gamma Sigma member and see how much more money you could save! Be sure to ask us about homeowners or renters insurance. We’d be happy to help you get a policy through the GEICO Insurance Agency.

For a free quote 24 hours a day, visit geico.com/BGS or call 1-800-368-2734.

SAVE TODAY.VACATION TOMORROW.

Welcome to HONORS, the new international magazine of Beta Gamma Sigma. With this inaugural issue, HONORS continues a thirteen year tradition established by the International Exchange magazine to keep BGS members connected and informed. In addition, HONORS promises timely news stories that reflect the changing face of business on the global stage.

This issue takes a look at healthcare as business, but it’s not the story you might imagine. With leaders such as Dr. Stephen Klasko, healthcare is finally getting the care and treatment it deserves through the overlapping of soft skills and hard data. Klasko, who serves as president and CEO of Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health, is fast becoming the voice of transformational change in healthcare for students, researchers, clinicians, and patients. He has written and spoken extensively on the subject and was recognized this spring as the 2016 Beta Gamma Sigma International Honoree.

Dr. Klasko’s award was but one of the highlights of AACSB’s ICAM conference in April. Another was the ceremonial installation of Universiteit Antwerpen’s Beta Gamma Sigma Chapter, with several deans of AACSB-accredited schools in attendance. Antwerp became one of twelve schools from around the world to add a BGS chapter this academic year.

It is always a thrill to watch Beta Gamma Sigma grow through new collegiate and alumni chapters. It is likewise exciting to welcome each new member. BGS now counts 791,000 of the best in business among its ranks, making it one of the most powerful and influential business networks in the world. We celebrate those of you who are new to BGS. We know that, like Dr. Klasko, you are capable of transformational changes that will benefit us all!

Betty Jo LicataChairman, BGS Board of Governors

A M E S S A G E F R O M T H E B O A R D C H A I R

I N T H I S I S S U E

2016 Global Leadership Summit

C O V E R S T O R Y

Getting BetterBusiness-driven changes in healthcare from BGS International Honoree Dr. Stephen Klasko and BGS member Sandeep Pandey

B O O K R E V I E W

The Opposite of Comfortable by Sharon Nir

How Service Changes the Brain

• • • • •

I N E V E R Y I S S U E

C H A P T E R H I G H L I G H T S Joe DiAngelo, St. Joseph’s University

T H E B G S S N A P S H O T

M E E T T H E B O A R D

Bernie Milano, KPMG

M E E T T H E D E A N

Faye Gilbert, U of Southern Mississippi

B G S O N Y O U T U B E

T W E E T S & H O O T S

D O N O R H I G H L I G H T S

F O L L O W T H E ( N E W ) L E A D E R S

Amit Lal, BGS 2013 inductee

E LW E L L’ S Q U I C K P I T C H

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Honor. Wisdom. Earnestness. These three pillars were established for Beta Gamma Sigma six years after its founding and tied to the Greek words Babaeos (signifying honor), Gnosis (meaning wisdom) and Spoude (which translates as earnestness), or BGS for short. Though these designations were made a hundred years ago, they are still very relevant today. In the next few issues of HONORS Magazine, I’ll be exploring the many ways these words continue to shape the Society.

First, let’s talk about honor, from the Greek Bebaeos. It has an old-world ring to it, doesn’t it? But honor is not a thing of the past. It moves with us throughout our lifetimes. And no matter where business takes us, honor is a tenet to which we must hold fast.

Whether we talk of honor as the esteem that comes with a good reputation or as recognition of our accomplishments, whether we define it as a privilege or use it to describe an elevated position, honor is always earned. So is membership in Beta Gamma Sigma. Never forget that. Your invitation to the Society was and is a reflection of your hard work and character. This is the way you present yourself to the rest of the world.

Recently I found myself in a conversation with a woman about my work for Beta Gamma Sigma. She lit up when she heard the Society mentioned and told me she’d been a member once. When I told her she was still a member, she was genuinely surprised! For me, this was a wake-up call, that all members understand the distinction. Once you’ve been recognized, you are honored for life. It is up to you to do something with it.

In just a few short months, we’ll be heading to Dallas for the second annual Global Leadership Summit, a gathering of 400 of the newest business leaders on the planet. These young Beta Gamma Sigma members are just beginning to realize what it means to be honored. But they don’t seem to be thinking about it much, because they’re busy changing the way the world works. After the summit, they’ll return to campus or to the work place to find their reward waiting in the form of newfound recognition and respect. At Beta Gamma Sigma, we have a word for that.

Chris CarosellaChief Executive Office, Beta Gamma Sigma

A M O M E N TW I T H C H R I S

Beta Gamma Sigma is the global honor society serving higher education business

programs throughout the world. BGS is the oldest international business honor society

and the only honor society accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB–International). Since its founding in 1913, BGS has inducted more than 791,000 lifetime members, who reside

in all 50 states and 160 countries. These members serve in management and leadership

roles in academic, corporate, government, nonprofit, and professional service sectors.

Beta Gamma Sigma has 575 collegiate chapters and 30 alumni chapters around the

world. For more information, please visit betagammasigma.org

• • • • •

HONORS is published twice yearly in St. Louis, Missouri and distributed by

Beta Gamma Sigma.

EDITORIALJanet Muhm | jmuhm@betagammasigma.org

CONTRIBUTORSAlexandria Graff

Janet MuhmGlennon Williams

ADVERTISINGLakshmi Sanjay | lsanjay@betagammasigma.org

CHANGE OF ADDRESSJean Tucker | jtucker@betagammasigma.org

b e t a g a m m a s i g m a . o r g | 3

ast November 300 students traveled to Florida to become the movers and shakers of the business world for three days. For some, the transformation may prove permanent.

Beta Gamma Sigma’s Global Leadership Summit, scheduled for November 3-6 in Dallas, takes students who are already at the top of their game and challenges them to think of themselves as leaders. The catch is, each student is expected to share that leadership with hundreds more.

Using a strengths-based platform, the Global Leadership Summit creates a rare think tank, the likes of which cannot be easily replicated. To understand why,

one only need look at the numbers: BGS members are students and alumni of the top 5% of business schools internationally, those accredited by AACSB. Of those students, only the top 10% are invited to join the Society.

Anyone who holds such credentials will tell you (if they’re being honest) that it’s not always easy to share center stage. But participants in the Summit are challenged to lead alongside others whose cultural backgrounds and leadership styles differ dramatically from their own. The results are phenomenal.

Ninety-five percent of students who attended last year’s Summit said they would recommend it to others. And they have. Capped at 400 students for 2016, the Global Leadership Summit is filling up fast. What is the draw exactly?

• Hard work, essentially–something all of these students are used to. But this work allows students to grow into strengths identified by the Clifton StrengthsFinders Assessment.

• Team building activities, including a full day case competition

• Panels of thought leaders and BGS alumni from business, academic and nonprofit sectors

• Social activities to foster international networking

How can you get involved in the Global Leadership Summit? By having a presence! For more information or to register, visit betagammasigma.org/gls.

Second Global Leadership Summit Planned for November

STUDENTS

ask your dean aboutattending

DEANS

sendyour mostpromisingstudents

ALUMNI

sponsor astudent bycalling Teri at314.925.1796

COVERSTORY GETTING

b e t a g a m m a s i g m a . o r g | 5

MD, MBA, and the president and CEO at Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health in Philadelphia. Klasko is, of course, a doctor and businessman. He’s also an innovator, teacher, and humanitarian. We like to call him a futurist, too. Sure, the term gets tossed around as a fancy platitude these days, and it’s not one of Dr. Klasko’s

official titles—but it’s one we think fits him perfectly.

Here’s how Brian David Johnson, an actual futurist in residence at the Center for Science and Innovation at Arizona State University, aptly describes the work of a futurist in his recent interview for The Gist podcast:

“As a futurist, I work with organizations and groups of people who need to make decisions today that may not pay off for ten, fifteen, twenty years in the future. And so I work with them to model the future and figure out what steps they need to take to get to the future they want—but also to avoid the future they don’t want.

“It is a mix of social science, of technical research, of economic models. I use some cultural history, because history is the onramp to the future.”

While Mr. Johnson’s work differs from Dr. Klasko’s in detail, their approach to realizing a brighter future is the same. Stephen Klasko is not only reimagining the healthcare system, he’s changing it everyday through that mix of science, economics, and sociology. He summarized it this way in a recent interview with Beta Gamma Sigma’s Glennon Williams: “What things are going to be obvious ten years from now that we can do today? That’s going to be key.”

Dr. Klasko graduated from Lehigh University with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and biology, went on to earn his MD from Hahnemann University of Philadelphia, opened a private practice in obstetrics and gynecology, and then completed an MBA at the Wharton School. “I didn’t want a healthcare MBA because I didn’t want to learn from the same people who had messed up the system,” says Dr. Klasko. “So by taking a traditional MBA, I was there to learn what other industries had done to get out of a malaise, what other industries had done to reform.”

What did Klasko do with this obvious ambition and the bona fides to back it up? Exactly what a true futurist would do: analyze, plan, initiate, and improve.

Stephen Klasko is the

2016 Beta Gamma Sigma

International Honoree. This

award is presented to individuals

who demonstrate outstanding

business and managerial

leadership. More importantly,

the International Honoree

embodies the values of

Beta Gamma Sigma:

honor, integrity, wisdom,

earnestness, and service—

qualities Dr. Klasko brings

to his work in healthcare.

AN OPTIMISTIC FUTURE FOR HEALTHCAREBETTERby Alexandria Graff, BGS Communications Manager

6 | H O N O R S J u n e 2 0 1 6

Leading with EmpathyPerhaps what best defines Klasko is the way he models his vision of healthcare through a convergence of scientific knowledge, imagination, and a big dose of emotional intelligence. Not surprisingly, he has an open-door policy with his staff. And it’s working.

“My first end-of-year session, I said, ’Here are the eight things I started to do this year. These three were pretty successful, these two really failed—I don’t know what I was thinking!’” Klasko tells BGS.

“Faculty came up to me and said it was the first time a president had ever admitted they made a mistake. But think about what that tells people. It tells them they can try something and make a mistake—and that’s okay. It creates a whole different culture in your institution.”

Throughout his office, Klasko displays pictures of Steve Jobs, Albert Einstein, and Marcus Welby, to serve both as an inspiration and a reminder of how Klasko wants to conduct the business of healthcare. The latter figure, if you’re unfamiliar, was the fictional doctor in a 70s television series of the same name. Dr. Welby was kindly and unorthodox in his approach, treating patients as individuals during a time when a trip to the doctor was not a very warm or personalized experience.

Dr. Klasko not only embraces Welby’s caring way of doing things, he holds up the TV doc as an example for all healthcare professionals. Under Klasko’s

guidance, Thomas Jefferson University has begun choosing its medical school candidates based in part on their emotional intelligence instead of GPAs and MCAT scores alone. Once these students are admitted, they continue developing the empathic skills that helped get them into Thomas Jefferson in the first place.

• • • • •

Jefferson has completely revamped its medical school curriculum. The new curriculum focuses on four distinct areas: learning to work in a health system, cultural competence, leadership, and eliminating health disparities.

(Excerpt: “I Messed Up Healthcare in America,” presentation by Dr. Klasko to the Governance Institute)

• • • • •

Jefferson’s emphasis on soft skills doesn’t stop with incoming physicians. Veteran doctors within the hospital are offered leadership training focused on the patient’s perspective to help them deliver better quality care. Specifically, the Physicians Leadership Institute addresses communication, customer service, empathy, mutual support, safety, situation monitoring, and teamwork.

Anyone with even a passing familiarity of emotional intelligence (EQ) understands its impact on the business world today. According to Dr. Daniel Goleman, the psychologist and author of the groundbreaking book Emotional Intelligence, EQ is composed of four facets: self-awareness, self-management, empathy, and social skills. He says in an interview for Big Think, “Emotional

intelligence refers to how well we handle ourselves and our relationships.”

It’s no wonder EQ is getting a spotlight in Stephen Klasko’s revamp of Jefferson. When healthcare providers can better understand experiences from the point of view of patients and their families, communication and outcomes improve. But if you’re a medical student, how do you develop these very subjective skills when your field is traditionally focused so narrowly on empirical data and hard sciences? At Jefferson, you take advantage of opportunities like storytelling and art appreciation workshops designed to stretch the brain and build emotional intelligence. That’s right: medical students taking field trips to the art museum!

Other programs to improve overall patient experience include the creation of individualized care plans to be shared with everyone involved in the patient’s treatment, as well as follow-up care 90 days after release to avoid return trips to the hospital.

“The bottom line is this:

the future of health belongs

to patients ’owning’ their own

health, at home, in their

neighborhoods and in their

communities.”

– Stephen Klasko

b e t a g a m m a s i g m a . o r g | 7

Using Advanced Tech to Advance HealthcareWhile the human component is critical to Dr. Klasko’s vision, he realizes–like any good futurist–the role of technology in transforming the system. Emerging technology includes wearables, designed to send data back to the hospital after a patient is discharged, and telehealth programs, which connect patients with specialists. Finally, virtual connections keep patients and their loved ones informed and involved during care.

• • • • •

JEFF NOW® provides patients with instant access to a live representative and allows them to schedule care online. Jefferson also began virtual rounds, which allow family members to participate in daily rounding and discharge meetings from anywhere in the world. Finally, through JeffConnect, patients regularly receive care via virtual visits.

(“I Messed Up Healthcare in America”)

• • • • •

Naturally, the facilitation and maintenance of these technological leaps in patient care will require new specialists. According to Dr. Klasko, the Thomas Jefferson Institute of Emerging Health Professions will include programs to train providers as telehealth professionals, probability experts, and electronic healthcare ambassadors.

Dr. Klasko puts it this way on the college’s website, “I predict Emerging Health Professions will soon be a major college and a driver of the health science universities of the future. The bottom line is this: the future of health belongs to patients ’owning’ their own health, at home, in their neighborhoods and in their communities.”

Another of Klasko’s ambitious plans is to shift the paradigm for how research informs treatment, a push for what he calls “evidence-based medicine.” The Center for Healthcare Entrepreneurship and Scientific Solutions (CHESS) was recently launched to start incorporating big data into the everyday operations of healthcare providers. The center’s executive director, Dr. David Reiter, explains CHESS for a Jefferson newsletter:

“CHESS is a Jefferson start-up supporting evidence-based medicine through innovative approaches to data acquisition, aggregation, and analysis. We’re using data and mathematical modeling to identify the probability of good and bad outcomes and the factors that influence those probabilities so that we can maximize the probability of a good outcome and minimize the probability of a bad outcome. This is knowledge; this is power.”

Analytics and predictive modeling are not new concepts to the business world. Under Klasko’s guidance, the business of healthcare is now adopting that trend in order to find smarter interventions more quickly. Aside from the obvious benefits of timelier, more accurate diagnoses and treatments, CHESS increases doctors’ efficiency by letting the data answer key questions about illnesses. Better efficiency across the entire hospital system means money and time is saved, leaving doctors more opportunities to interact closely with their patients.

“The fact is, you can take an entrepreneurial approach in an organization,” says Klasko. “If you come back with those new ideas to a 194-year-old organization like Jefferson, it really puts you at a competitive advantage. If I take this approach [of ] running this very storied institution as a startup company, I’m going to win because I get the best of both worlds: I get the fantastic faculty with a fresh approach.”

Treating Healthcare as a Social EnterpriseIf you notice an emerging pattern in Stephen Klasko’s projects, it might be that Jefferson is taking the trajectory of modern social enterprise startups. Putting impact ahead of income, serving the community, and using savvy market techniques to advance an altruistic mission: these are the hallmarks of social enterprises—and of progressive healthcare initiatives, as it turns out.

8 | H O N O R S J u n e 2 0 1 6

In his popular TEDxPhiladelphia talk, Klasko starts off by recalling his senior year in medical school, when he asked to give a presentation on his thoughts about the future of healthcare. “I asked, ’Can you do anything about spiraling costs? Can you change the fee-for-service system so we’re really rewarding value and not volume? And can you measure outcomes?’”

Forty years later, Dr. Klasko is still asking those questions. Much like his social enterprise counterparts, Klasko approaches his business by constantly challenging the status quo, constantly seeking solutions to societal problems such as inefficient, ineffective healthcare.

Klasko is not alone. Social entrepreneurs are likewise trying upend our current healthcare system, as are young ER doctors at Los Angeles County Hospital, who were followed for the 2015 documentary “Code Black.” The film hinges on the struggles these doctors face when they try to square their humanitarian ideals with endless bureaucracy and outdated medical systems. The doctors commiserate and collaborate, but finally succeed in implementing new techniques to improve patient wait times and interactions. “Code Black” elucidates a zeitgeist in the US by speaking to the big questions so many of us, particularly Stephen Klasko, have been asking for a long time.

“Right before I took this job, I gave a national talk. I spoke right after an economist, who said, ’The two

things you don’t want to be running in the next three years—because they’re impossible—are academics and healthcare,’” Klasko told Williams in his recent interview for BGS.

“I said, ’Hi, I just took a job in academics and healthcare. The reason they’re impossible is because they’re going through this incredible change. And a lot of us who run those entities don’t want to change. So the academic mindset of running healthcare as a non-consumer model probably is not sustainable. Rather than whine about it, we hope to fix it.’”

To that end, Jefferson recently merged with Abington and Aria, two other local healthcare systems, creating one streamlined regional system for the people of Philadelphia. Afterwards, Klasko oversaw a complete restructure of the organization’s board to ensure a stronger community focus.

At a time when declining revenues are forcing Academic Medical Centers (AMCs) to increase tuition and cut jobs, Jefferson is investing innovation and philanthropy through its forward-thinking projects.

In his TED talk, Dr. Klasko outlines “Health Quotients” at Jefferson, such as “BUBs,” (for believable understandable bills) and clear and relevant marketing campaigns for the community. CEOs and other community stakeholders have been brought in to evaluate the business of Jefferson from top to bottom, analyzing the system’s performance to find areas for improvement.

• • • • •

As a result of these changes, Jefferson is no longer dependent on National Institutes of Health grant money, patient revenues, or tuition fees for its financial success.

(“I Messed Up Healthcare in America”)• • • • •

Setting the Bar for Our FutureLet’s imagine that US healthcare has transformed in all the ways Klasko has envisioned and initiated at Jefferson—let’s imagine the future is now.

In this scenario, you’ve suddenly become ill and think you might need to visit your local Hospital of the Future. First, you log on to your provider’s telehealth program to video chat with a qualified specialist. He reviews your symptoms and recommends an appointment with your doctor. You navigate to the patient portal, choose your appointment, and receive an instant email notification that you’re on the doc’s roster for the next day.

You arrive at the hospital and are pleasantly surprised when the doctor not only listens, but is attentive, understanding, and reassuring. You’re told you need to stay a few nights for tests. Ordinarily, this would send you into a panic—like most of us, you’re not a fan of hospital trips. However, the care you’ve received thus far from every member of the staff has been above and beyond expectations, and you already know you’re in good hands.

WORKING IN THE BUSINESS OF HEALTHCARE

0

50000

100000

150000

200000

250000

300000

350,000

Only 8% of all MBAs are employedin the health-care business.

C-suite MBAsin healthcare earn on avg

12% more thanMBAs inother fields.

entrylevel

$93,000

entrylevel

90,765

entrylevel

$62,000

entrylevel

$76,000

entrylevel

$76,550

entrylevel

$89,500

entrylevel

$82,800

entrylevel

$77,658

C-suite$300,000

C-suite$300,000

C-suite$300,000

C-suite$250,000

C-suite$345,000

C-suite$292,500

C-suite$300,000

C-suite$208,500

AvgC-suite

Avgentrylevel

q Percent Alumni Working for an Employer 2010-2014*

q Employment for alumni graduating in the 75th percentile with an MBA or other graduate business degree*

* Source: GMAC (2015) Alumni Perspectives Survey

b e t a g a m m a s i g m a . o r g | 9

1 0 | H O N O R S J u n e 2 0 1 6

You’re checked into a room and made comfortable, and the nurse begins to prep you for the first set of tests. “Wait, can we hold off until my family gets here?” She tells you not to worry; the staff has already contacted your family, per your request. They’re on the way, and in the meantime, the nurse will communicate details to them via “virtual rounds” video conferencing until they arrive.

The tests show you’ll need a medication you’ve never heard of before, and you’re naturally anxious again. But when the doctor comes to your room to go over the diagnosis with you and your family, she also gives a full explanation of why this drug was chosen for your treatment. After reviewing your symptoms, health history, and test results with other doctors on her team, they looked at metadata of thousands of other patients around the country with similar profiles. Based on this analysis, your team is confident the drug will be effective.

As predicted, the illness is cleared within a few days, and you’re sent home with a specialized care plan to help maintain your health. You’re also fitted with a small device that will track metrics like your activity level, sleep habits, diet, and vital signs. Before leaving, you meet another specialist who will be on the

other end of the data this device sends, watching it to ensure you’re not in need of further medical attention.

All in all, your trip to the Hospital of the Future was a good experience. Convenience, connectedness, empathy, explanations, and thorough follow-up all played a role in your treatment and recovery. Hopefully you won’t need to return. But if you do, you’ll feel good about the care you’ll receive.

People like Stephen Klasko make this future possible with vision, empathy, and entrepreneurial spirit. Asked what he recommends others do to achieve results like these, he goes back to the most fundamental elements of success: creativity and compassion.

“There are a lot of smart people out there. There are a lot of smart people who don’t make it, and there are a lot of people who aren’t as smart as you who do make it. A good part of that is how they’re able to communicate, how they get people to want to follow them. And a lot of that, you can’t teach in school. I believe that 85 percent of success in business is how you tell the story.

“[Part of ] being emotionally intelligent is taking criticism from people who love you. We don’t all do that well. It can be your partner in life, you partner at work, your professor, your fellow student.

“I tell people to do as many things as they can with human interaction. Get involved in things like drama, or do an amateur stand-up night. You may bomb, but that whole concept of being up there and being vulnerable really helps you understand others.

“All these things help you understand what you are as a human and how you connect with other humans.”

“Get out of your comfort zone…

Look for ways to optimize

human contact. Talk to people

about how you’re communicating.

It’s important to get feedback on

how people are hearing you.

“These things are just as important

as learning the business. I would

tell students out there, that’s going

to be 80 percent of your success.”

– Stephen Klasko

b e t a g a m m a s i g m a . o r g | 1 1

BGS counts many entrepreneurs among its membership, those who are innovating

around the world. For this member business profile, we take you to the South of India, home to Sandeep Pandey and his recently-launched telehealth startup, HealthClues.

The HealthClues business model is straightforward: bring patients better insight into their medical diagnoses via online connection to reputable doctors. As Mr. Pandey puts it in our recent interview, “HealthClues seeks to become a trusted platform that empowers patients to get reliable and evidence-based information about their illness, in particular when a major treatment such as surgery is suggested.”

Users of the site can actually get second and third opinions from the HealthClues doctors, a critical advantage for anyone who is questioning a primary caregiver’s diagnosis or treatment recommendation. And for the more casual or curious visitor, HealthClues hosts a library of articles written by their resident experts and physicians.

How did Mr. Pandey decide to pursue HealthClues? His background in government healthcare projects, knowledge of HIPAA, and extensive experience in software engineering and business was a start. Sandeep is an

MBA graduate of the Booth School of Business at University of Chicago, where he specialized in entrepreneurship and finance. Before Booth, he earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in biochemical engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology of Deli.

“After moving back to India in 2012, I kept observing situations within my social network and in media where patients were not as well informed about all the choices they had,” he explains. He recognized the difficulty most patients had in questioning—or even comfortably discussing—their doctors’ diagnoses and advice. “That’s when the idea came to pitch the expert against other experts in a way that works to the advantage of all stakeholders, from the patient to the medical community itself.

“It took me almost two years to convince myself that while the idea seemed good in principle, it was also practical and feasible. Finally, I decided to work on it full-time last year, beginning July 2015, and made it fully operational in October 2015. Though our business model is globally applicable, we have taken a highly focused approach with orthopedics as a specialty and Hyderabad as our geographic location.”

Asked if he has words of wisdom for young BGS members, especially those looking to enter the entrepreneurship

world, Sandeep replies thoughtfully, “While it is too early for me to share advice on what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur, the one friendly word I have for many who wish to be an entrepreneur is, first and foremost, discover your passion for solving a problem that creates real value and that you care about solving.

“What I sometimes see within the entrepreneurship community is a disturbing trend where the conversation is centered around what’s the hottest theme or sector that is getting funded.

“The word ’passion’ is quite abused and over-used, and I never thought it would be this important until now. However, it is something that will keep you going no matter what. It will get you out of bed on the days you feel down and beaten, and there will be many.”

Beta Gamma Sigma proudly inducted HealthClues founder Sandeep Pandey in 2012. You can learn more about his business at healthclues.net.

B G S M E M B E R B U S I N E S S P R O F I L E

Sandeep Pandey’s HealthClues

1 2 | H O N O R S J u n e 2 0 1 6

Every crossroads has four options: quit, adapt, proceed, or accept. Whether in her native Tel-Aviv, the American Southwest or New York City, Sharon Nir finds the same four options laid out for her. In her new book, The Opposite of Comfortable, she explores them all.

As the creator of Knowledge Management for Israel’s largest telecommunications company, Nir was charged with selling her concept to employees in the early 2000s. The employees were skeptical. For them, Knowledge Management meant giving up their intellectual property, and that might mean losing their jobs. It took a field trip to her former company, where Nir had designed Israel’s first Knowledge Management system, to convince employees that this new technology was a way to build mutual goals, collaboration, and trust.

Nir’s work in Knowledge Management used the principle of repositioning to extend her company’s brand and product lifestyle. But it was in her personal life that repositioning became a way of life.

Beginning with her husband’s acceptance into a two-year fellowship at Mount Sinai Hospital in 2001, Nir began a journey across oceans and cultures to find her place as a wife, mother, and business professional in the US. But the journey was peppered with terrorist attacks on both Israeli and US soil, complications with immigration law, financial struggles, business politics, shifting views on feminism, and educational challenges for Nir’s young son.

The Opposite of Comfortable is a tangle of all of these, told through the calm and steady voice of Nir, whose guiding principles are often lifted from her own business life. “The secret is not to be found in the manner of solving a crisis,” she says, “but in the belief a crisis can be solved.”

The Opposite of ComfortableBy Sharon Nir, BGS Lifetime Member

The Opposite of Comfortable

Viking Press Paperback; 196 pagesFirst edition; May 17, 2016ISBN 978-0997143003

Read an interview with Sharon Nir at betagammasigma.org/bgs-blog

B G S M E M B E R S H I P I S F O R E V E R !

Go to betagammasigma.org/update-your-information so we can update you on…

• New alumni chapters• Speaker series• Networking opportunities throughout the year

Forward your address when you move to keep

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ot long ago, scientists believed that our brains were fixed by the time

we graduated, that the curious, questioning children

we were born to be turned to driven, work-a-day adults in the blink of an eye. And after that, it was the treadmill for us, at least in the sense that we had a singular purpose and a single way to get there. We were set for life by the time we were 22.

Or were we? New studies in neuroplasticity (neuro for brain, plasticity for malleability) are now suggesting that we are, in fact, capable of creating new brain cells—and the pathways to connect them across regions of the brain—throughout our adult lives. Here’s how it works:

As children, our brains go through an “overproduction” phase, in which we stuff literally millions of synapses into our cerebral file drawers, just in case we need to reference them later. About the time we get out of college, we begin a “pruning” phase, during which we wear grooves along certain channels of the brain to determine the direction of our cerebral growth and to purge those files we no longer need. Neuroscientists are now telling us this process can last a lifetime.

As evidence, they point to the phenomenon of adults who have bounced back from traumatic head injuries to retrain their minds. This “cortical remapping,” when applied to the general population, throws open wide the gates to new possibilities in learning and resets expectations in the workplace. All we have to do is keep our brains fit.

But how does one do that exactly? How does one keep adding files to an already crowded brain? Volunteer work is an excellent place to start, because it affects connections between the frontal and the emotional regions of the brain. When volunteer work is altruistic, it is the server—as much as the served—who reaps the benefits through increased social networks, a greater sense of purpose, and a higher degree of life satisfaction. There is also a strong correlation between volunteerism and improved physical health for virtually every adult demographic.

Benefits of volunteering even extend into the workplace. According to the Corporation for National and Community Service, volunteers have a 27% greater chance of getting hired after losing a job than those who do not volunteer. Once they get those jobs, they tend to be happier, healthier

and better connected. And that bodes well for the businesses they work for, a detail that has not gone unnoticed by management. In a recent LinkedIn survey, 20% of hiring managers said they factor in volunteer efforts when making a hire.

For this reason, many colleges are embracing the notion of volunteerism and giving students opportunities to participate throughout the academic year. As a result, volunteer rates among college students are higher than those among the general adult populations of 33 states.

That may be because volunteer opportunities wane during the working years, leaving gaps between college and retirement, a time when brain fitness is critically important. Service work through honors societies, alumni groups and religious organizations help to bridge that gap, giving professionals meaningful ways to reach out and make a difference. And, as volunteers change the world around them, they also change the world within. Within their companies, within their social networks and, most importantly, within their own brains.

HOW YOUR SERVICE PROJECTCAN CHANGE YOUR BRAIN

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How Joe DiAngelo maintains a vibrant BGS presence on the campus of St. Joseph’s University

he Haub School of Business at St. Joseph’s University was accredited by AACSB in 1999. A year later, Joe DiAngelo joined the college as dean.

And a year after that, St. Joseph’s Beta Gamma Sigma chapter inducted its first members. For DiAngelo, it was a priority.

“Beta Gamma Sigma is a part of the culture at St. Joseph’s,” he says. “It should be high on everyone’s list.”

From the first moment new students set foot on campus, DiAngelo is educating them about the importance of honor societies, making sure to distinguish between those that have earned their stripes, and those that have not. He cautions against private venture honoraries, which are not always tied to academic achievement. He is more interested in seeing students recognized in a way that will benefit them for life. Put simply by DiAngelo himself, “AACSB is the premiere accrediting body in the world. Beta Gamma Sigma is the premiere honor society in the world. It’s an easy connection to make.”

St. Joseph’s BGS chapter is very good at making connections, both between students and alumni, and between the university and the corporate world. To be networked with people who are in the top five percent worldwide makes BGS, in DiAngelo’s words, “a nice club to belong to.”

But DiAngelo knows that a large part of chapter success lies beyond membership. High profile ceremonies, tie-in events, international teleconferences, and corporate recognition go a long way toward elevating the image of Beta Gamma Sigma and giving members even more visibility in the working world. He collaborates closely with BGS officer Steve Porth and advisor Ruben Mendoza to ensure that anything bearing the BGS stamp is of utmost quality. BGS has sponsored such noted speakers as Tom Brokaw, Fortune Magazine Editor Allan Murray, and former Campbell’s CEO Doug Conan: all leaders who embody the mission of BGS.

Still others have been recognized as honorary BGS members or awardees. St. Joseph’s has nominated seven winners of the prestigious Medallion of Entrepreneurship and Business Achievement Award over the past eleven years. These awards recognize contributions to the economy, advances in business, and service to others.

What is the message DiAngelo is sending? That the future of business lies in the hands of a small percentage of people best suited to shape it. And that, through hard work, his students can be part of this group.

DiAngelo starts young. “We start talking to our students about Beta Gamma Sigma at freshman orientation as

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something they should strive to attain, a goal they should set for themselves.” As early as sophomore year, some of them are tapped for invitation into the society.

“It’s been particularly exciting for the sophomores,” DiAngelo says of his newest members, “And it has really helped to ingrain in the culture of the Haub School what BGS stands for. In the past, we honored seniors, and they’d be gone three weeks later. Now we have sophomores and officers working on events all during the year.”

Fifteen years after partnering with St. Joseph’s, BGS has nearly 2,000 more members than before—engaged members who are tied to the mission of the Society and the school alike. A new freshman class will be on campus soon, and DiAngelo will be on hand, asking the same question he’s been asking for fifteen years. Have you heard about BGS?

Want to see your collegiate or alumni chapter in print? SO DO WE!

Please send news items, high resolution photos, and ideas for stories to jmuhm@betagammasigma.org.

Joe DiAngelo (center) with BGS Officer Steve Porth (l) and Chapter Advisor Ruben Mendoza

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embers in cities around the world have been clicking their cameras, phones, and video recorders to bring you a snapshot of Beta Gamma Sigma in this issue of HONORS. We’re delighted to share with you their inductions, service projects and networking events, and look forward to sharing your stories in the next issue!

ALUMNI

CHAPTER

From top: BGS Buffalo Alumni Chapter with Professor Elwell the owl; Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster Chapter installation and 2016 recognition ceremony.

recognition, networking, learningALUMNI

ALUMN I

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ALUMNI

ALUMN I

ALUMNI

ALUMN I

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CHAPTER

From top-left: Amber Nicholson, Director of BGS Chapter Operations, and BGS Spain Alumni Chapter President Isabel Córdova celebrate the chapter’s fifth anniversary; Jane Wayland, Dean of Business at University of Arkansas–Little Rock, with Business Achievement Award winner Nick Brown, and BGS CEO Chris Carosella; St. Xavier University’s 2016 Society inductees; the BGS Collegiate Chapter at Rutgers University takes a business field trip to Mars, Inc. headquarters; Don Imholz, University of Missouri–St. Louis 2016 BGS Chapter Honoree; Peru Alumni Chapter networking event in Lima.

ALUMNI

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CHAPTER

celebration + service

CHAPTER

CHAPTER

CHAPTER

ALUMNI

CHAPTER

ALUMN I

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CHAPTER

From top-left: Members at Marist College collect donations for their local Teen’s Closet as part of BGS Gives Back; the first-ever BGS ice sculpture graces NY Institute of Technology’s 2016 recognition ceremony; Chile Alumni Chapter networking event in Santiago; BGS members at University of Arkansas–Little Rock plant flowers around campus; the BGS Chapter at SUNY–Oneota helps clean up Cooperstown; Houston Alumni Chapter networking event; UNCG–Greensboro 2016 induction ceremony; St. Louis Alumni Chapter and Christina Janoski, BGS Associate Director of Chapter Relations, volunteer at Junior Achievement.

2 2 | H O N O R S J u n e 2 0 1 6 M E E T T H E B O A R D

Bernie Milano is president and trustee of the KPMG

Foundation and president and trustee of the KPMG Disaster Relief Fund. He also serves on numerous religious, community and academic boards, including Beta Gamma Sigma, and as president of the PhD Project, a national program to increase racial and ethnic diversity in the workplace. Milano took a few minutes to talk about his diversity projects and his service to Beta Gamma Sigma.

ON DIVERSITY: My involvement with diversity goes way back to my early years at KPMG when I was responsible for recruiting. I didn’t realize how much a part of me it was, but as time went on, it became my passion to find students of color who could work in our profession. Up until then, corporations would not hire people of color. There were no role models.

I like to work with organizations that are improving access for people who have the qualifications. I try to find organizations that are working in that space at the elementary school, middle school, high school, post-secondary levels, and see if we can create a diverse student pipeline. If you have incredible high school students, have them reach back to the middle schools so they’re encouraging and inspiring confidence and building awareness about what people can achieve. Same thing for college students, reaching back to the high school to be role models and mentors.

ON BETA GAMMA SIGMA: It’s rare these days to find an organization that can raise up those who are doing really well. BGS honors students who are gifted and who have become incredible stewards [of those gifts] by applying a good work ethic and time management. I think it’s important that organizations tell the good news.

ADVICE TO NEW MEMBERS: You have to start out with the question, What is your definition of success? Then develop a plan. But don’t put that plan in concrete. Keep open to a calling you might not be hearing, one which may appear to be a distraction.

Sometimes you have to retreat to get ahead. You’re wandering in the woods and you think you’re on the right path, then you go back fifty yards and think, “Oh! That was the branch I was supposed to be taking!”

“Keep open to a calling you may

not be hearing, one which may

appear to be a distraction.”

Bernie MilanoBeta Gamma Sigma Board of Governors

BGS member Story Musgrave carried his key into space aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger. Where have you carried your key? Where has your key carried you? Send stories to agraff@betagammasigma.org.

b e t a g a m m a s i g m a . o r g | 2 3

Faye Gilbert has served as dean of three colleges of

business, and Beta Gamma Sigma has always been a priority. In fact. BGS has been front and center for Gilbert since she was inducted herself. That’s because the faculty did a great job of emphasizing the academic honor she had achieved. Gilbert was recognized in April as Beta Gamma Sigma’s first Dean of the Year.

ON GROWING A CHAPTER: When I got to Southern Miss, BGS was viewed as an honorary, but that was all. They collected the dues and provided the students with the key, and that was all that was to be done. But I knew that when students were operating at this level, they wanted to be engaged. We began to tap in cap and gown, and we elected officers. We took members out into the community.

You can’t underestimate the role of the advisor in growing a BGS chapter. I would not have been Dean of the Year without Melinda McLelland and Wanda Fennell working at the operational level. The strength of the organization rests with the students, but it includes the advisors and the faculty in a big way.

ON LEADERSHIP AS A TRANSFORMATIONAL CHANGE: Collegiate members are visible leaders, so energizing them is easy. In the induction ceremony, they are told, “To you much has been given, so from you much is expected.” And they really rise to that challenge. I hope it’s having an effect on the rest of the students to hear them say, “You can step up. You can achieve.”

When our students came back from the Global Leadership Summit in 2015, they realized that they could hold their own. They had a little bit more swagger in their step, a little bit more confidence. We asked them to put on a presentation for other BGS students about what they’d learned. And so our investment in those five students got us results back home, too.

Sometimes when you’re tapped for leadership, you recognize that you have to bring the whole person to the table. I love seeing the faces of our inductees when this dawns on them, when the faculty hold them up for the achievements and applaud them in front of their peers. It’s like they’re saying, “Now that I’ve been recognized, I need to earn that recognition.”

M E E T T H E D E A N

Dr. Faye Gilbert, Ph.D. Dean, University of Southern Mississippi

Dr. Melinda McClellan BGS Chapter Advisor

Wanda FennellBGS Chapter Advisor

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THANK YOU!

FOUNDERS’ DAY

BGS in 2015

RUPPE INTERVIEW

SEEBGS

https://youtu.be/cF3bM7CjSqY

https://youtu.be/MNPnmB39He8

https://youtu.be/ShPA5rJQBhg

https://youtu.be/HrGaPBrBxZk

The BGS Global Headquarters staff celebrates our 103rd birthday by looking back at how far we’ve come…and by dancing.

A big thank you from BGS to our donors for making 2015 one of our best years yet.

Deans, chapter advisors, talent recruiters, and new BGS members share their thoughts on the society.

Exclusive interview with BGS lifetime member Peter Ruppe, SVP of footwear at Under Armour.

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20,882 FOLLOWERS ON FACEBOOK

Forbes lists the top college in each US state. How does your alma mater rank? Forbes: “The Best College in Every State”

Likely to ring true for a lot of young ladies. How are the pressures of work and personal life affecting your career? Fast Company: “Why Millennial Women Are Burning Out”

TOPPOSTS

5,424 FOLLOWERS ON TWITTER

#BGSFounders Spotlight: In 1985, @NASA astronaut Story Musgrave took the BGS key into space aboard the Challenger! BGS Blog: Meet Story Musgrave

Who is the GLS student? If these descriptors sound like you, be sure to join us at #GLS2016! Infographic: The GLS Student

TOPPOSTS

4,867 FOLLOWERS ON LINKEDIN

How would you answer?Business Insider: “Facebook’s most asked interview question is tough to answer but a brilliant way to find the perfect fit”

Grad students, are you looking at a career change? US News & Education: “Discover 6 Hot Jobs for MBA Graduates”

TOPPOSTS

471 FOLLOWERS ON INSTAGRAM

Elwell went to England! Thanks to member Elizabeth Legendre, who took this shot of the professor outside King’s College while visiting Cambridge.Pip-pip! #BGSisEverywhere

Our friends at Hong Kong University recently visited the LinkedIn corporate office. Very cool! #WeAreBGS

TOPPOSTS

Words of wisdom on BGS social media

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development. This guide will help you maximize your membership experience. You can now count yourself among the world’s best in business, because you have earned a lifetime membership in Beta Gamma Sigma. This is the highest recognition a business student can receive, because Beta Gamma Sigma is the only honor society in the world accredited by AACSB International. Your membership in Beta Gamma Sigma showcases your current academic success and your future professional accomplishments.

Membership is a commitment. You are expected to exemplify BGS values through your work. In return, Beta Gamma Sigma will provide you with a lifetime of programs and benefits to assist at every stage of your professional development. This guide will help you maximize your membership experience.

You can now count yourself among the world’s best in business, because you have earned a lifetime membership in Beta Gamma Sigma. This is the highest

BGS awarded Angela DeBord a scholarship to the 2015 Global Leadership Summit. It’s an investment that is already paying dividends—for her and for BGS.

Angela DeBord was one of the first second-semester sophomores at the University of Akron to be extended membership in Beta Gamma Sigma. Sophomore inductions, intended to help create a

more robust campus experience for collegiate members, are identifying rising stars like Angela and giving them ways to serve while still in school.

“I didn’t know much about [Beta Gamma Sigma] when I got my invitation,” Angela said. “I looked it up, and I thought it would be great to help me connect with the best students on my campus. What’s been a surprise...is that I’ve been able to build a network across the country and even internationally.”

Angela has been able to build that network because she got involved right away, supporting chapter activities on campus. When her chapter announced it would send members to the Global Leadership Summit, she applied for and was granted a scholarship.

At the Global Leadership Summit, Angela met corporate leaders from several sectors, learned ways to leverage her personal strengths, and participated in a team challenge with fellow BGS members from around the world. The lessons learned have helped her in her new role as chapter president.

Because her GLS experience was so rewarding, Angela is coming back to serve as a mentor for 2016 attendees. “I really feel BGS has helped me in so many ways,” she says. “As an organization, we already have the best and brightest students on campus as members. But as a generation, we’re very tied to our technology, and so we don’t always have the soft skills we need.”

For Angela, BGS helped fill a gap. “Going to the GLS, being a chapter officer, even the webinars...help round us out as leaders and get us ready for the business world.”

Angela knows that donors to Beta Gamma Sigma made her scholarship possible, and that they create a better membership experience for collegians throughout the world. It’s an example she intends to follow. “I plan on being an active alumnus and continuing to give back.”

To make a gift in support of the 2016 Global Leadership Summit, visit betagammasigma.org/donate.

Investingin Angela

Chairman’s Council $20,000+KPMG Foundation

President’s Council $5,000 - $19,999AACSBGeicoGraduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC)Ohio Northern UniversityThe University of North Carolina at GreensboroFrancis Marion University James W. Fenton

Dean’s Council $1,000 - $4,999Brandeis UniversityR. P. Simmons Family FoundationThomas R. RobinsonBusiness Achievement Joseph W. Moeller California State University, East Bay Atul Dhablania California State University- San Bernardino Anh M. NhieuCase Western Reserve University Franklin T. KudoUniversity of Cincinnati Genevieve H. SmithUniversity of Connecticut William C. HunterThe University of Georgia Ogden O. AllsbrookIndiana University Paul C. Govert Thomas F. Veldman Christopher T. WinklerThe University of Iowa Charles H. WhitemanKent State University George E. StevensMaastricht University Marielle HeijltjesMarquette University Theodore C. RogersMiami University Robert J. KamerschenMichigan State University Bruce D. Bottomley Philip E. LippincottThe University of Michigan Norma G. Heller Sanford R. RobertsonNorth Carolina A&T State University Bernard J. MilanoUniversity of Pittsburgh Richard P. Simmons

University of Southern California Doreen L. Gee Richard Lewis

Sigma Circle $500-$999Becker ProfessionalDuke University, Master of Management Studies EducationEducational Testing Service (ETS)Enterprise Rent-A-CarFlorida Southern CollegeFlorida State University, College of BusinessUniversity of Hawaii at ManoaLaSalle UniversityUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillRobert, Martha and John Atherton FoundationRollins College, Crummer School of BusinessSixt Rent-A-CarUniversity of Missouri Crosby MBA ProgramUniversity of TampaUniversity of Tulsa, Collins College of Business Washington Internship InstituteThe University of Alabama Marinda J. WoodBaylor University David M. JacobsUniversity of California, Los Angeles Chapter Edward W. WedbushClemson University John P. HarmanDePaul University Tucker TylerDrake University Chapter John PappajohnDrexel University Kathleen M. KiernanJacksonville University, Davis College of Business Gary K. KajiwaraUniversity of Miami Zsolt T. AgardyThe University of Michigan Allan D. Gilmour John W. MadiganMichigan State University Craig D. BrownMississippi State University Fred O. CornettNew York University Alice R. BueddenUniversity of North Texas Sandra Jacaman

Beta Gamma Sigma gratefully acknowledges the support of the following donors. Your gifts make it possible for us to continue to bring value to our lifetime members. All gifts reflect donations received between March 1, 2014 and February 29, 2015. Our apologies for any errors or omissions.

b e t a g a m m a s i g m a . o r g | 2 7Seattle University Gary P. BrinsonUniversity of South Dakota Denise T. SmartUniversity of Southern California Steven D. CroweUniversity of Texas at Arlington Daniel K. WuValdosta State University Jerry J. JennettWashington University Jill A. JonesUniversity of Wisconsin Madison Anton T. Vanek, Jr.University of Wisconsin Oshkosh Lawrence C. BittnerYoungstown State University Christina Carosella Betty Jo Licata

Gamma Circle $250-$499Burton BowmanFirst Hawaiian Bank FoundationTE Connectivity Deborah WenkertUniversity of Alabama John G. FosheeArizona State University William J. NasifThe University of Arizona David P. McElvainUniversity of Arkansas Marlena S. BondUniversity of Arkansas Nancy K. Quinn Bryan A. SpeedUniversity of Baltimore Barry A. BenzBaruch College - The City University of New York Irwin Ettinger Peter Gonedes Joseph D. WeisbergBaylor University Tim D. BrewerBoston College Bennett S. YeeBoston University Simeon ChowUniversity of Bridgeport Chapter Michael S. JelormineCalifornia State University, Fresno Linda J. WojciechowskiCalifornia State University, Sacramento Margo MurrayCanisius College David C. WachowiakUniversity of Chicago Thomas V. BanfieldUniversity of Cincinnati Hugh H. HoffmanClark University Dawn MurphyColorado State University Anne L. BinkleyColumbia University-MBA Paul P. Morimanno

University of Denver Robert Z. DalalUniversity of Detroit Mercy Patricia A. Tourney Francis WestmeyerDuquesne University Steven R. BerlinEast Tennessee State University Allan D. SpritzerThe Florida State University Ivan A. MoralesUniversity of Florida Louis F. MorrFordham University James R. WeldonGeorgia State University Frank L. WestUniversity of Houston Anne T. ParrishHoward University Donald B. ChristianUniversity of Illinois at Chicago Daniel J. PhillipsIndiana University Harley R. Mohr Allen E. RosenbergLehigh University Paul Caster Edwin HallbergMarquette University Steven J. Borkenhagen David J. HushekUniversity of Massachusetts George P. SheaUniversity of Miami R. C. Brenner Marianela J. Hernandez Scott A. VoorheesMiami University Scott D. SchweinfurthThe University of Michigan Joel D. Tauber Linda I. VossMichigan State University Ronald J. PattenUniversity of Minnesota Jed D. Larkin Thomas R. SedlackUniversity of Nebraska Lincoln Alan D. ChunkaNew York University Mario P. Borini Robert C. LaroseNew York University-GRAD Martyn R. RedgraveNorth Carolina A&T State University Bowman K. Burton Quiester CraigNorthwestern University John R. Hannah Kari JanavitzOakland University George H. SeifertThe Ohio State University Steven M. KatkoThe University of Oklahoma Homer H. Hulme Trudy K. MartinOregon State University Ken AustinPace University Eric P. Szekrenyessy

University of Pennsylvania James A. MaritzUniversity of Pennsylvania Robert C. Nevin Hugh J. ZimmerUniversity of Portland Craig ChristensonRider University Robert SchimekUniversity of Rochester Ramachandra BhagavatulaSam Houston State University Preston JohnsonSan Diego State University Debra A. Ernst Cheryl J. StanislawskiSan Jose State University Constance B. MooreUniversity of South Carolina Warren L. BattsUniversity of South Dakota Laurie DuncanUniversity of South Florida Darrell J. FerrignoUniversity of Southern California Shuhui PengSouthern Illinois University Edwardsville Deborah L. Johnston James A. MorrellSt. John Fisher College Victor SalernoSt. John’s University James F. Giordano Nicholas J. ProkosSt. Mary’s University Cynthia H. MunchSusquehanna University James AppSyracuse University Walter W. HemmingTemple University Charles J. Davidson Jerry KatzThe University of Texas at Austin Don & Katy Houseman Glen A. RosenbaumTexas Christian University Robert W. OliverUniversity at Buffalo, State University of New York Kenneth P. FerrisVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State University James E. PearmanWashington University John P. WarehamWayne State University Paul A. GlantzWest Virginia University Thomas J. KrzysWestern Michigan University Quenten T. WilberWichita State University Arthur A. WinquistUniversity of Wisconsin Madison Thomas G. RagatzUniversity of Wisconsin Milwaukee Lea E. O’Day

University of Wisconsin Oshkosh Sharon F. Alferi

Beta Circle $100-$249Arizona State University, W.P. Carey School of BusinessBall State MBABelmont University, The Jack C. Massey Graduate School of BusinessBerry CollegeBoston College, Carroll School of ManagementBrandeis International Business SchoolBrock University, Goodman School of BusinessCalifornia State University, East BayCENTRUM Católica Graduate Business SchoolClark University, Graduate School of ManagementDocNetDrexel UniversityEast Carolina University, College of BusinessEastern Michigan University, College of BusinessFox Family FoundationIE University, Executive Master in Positive Leadership & StrategyIllinois Institute of Technology, Stuart School of BusinessJohn Carroll University, Boler School of BusinessLa Salle UniversityLehigh UniversityLongwood University, College of Business and EconomicsLoyola Marymount UniversityLoyola University MarylandMarquette University, Graduate School of ManagementMeredith College, MBA ProgramMiddlebury Institute of International Studies at MontereyPacific Lutheran University, School of BusinessPenn State University, Smeal College of Business MBA ProgramPhillips 66Providence College, School of Business MBA ProgramQS World MBA TourSacred Heart UniversitySaint Joseph’s University, E.K. Haub School of BusinessSaint Joseph’s University, Master of Science in Managing Human CapitalSaint Xavier University, Graham School of Management San Francisco State University, College of Business Graduate ProgramsSeton Hall University, Stillman School of Business

Shenandoah University, Harry F. Byrd, Jr. School of BusinessSouthern Illinois UniversityStacey LemonsTexas State UniversityThe PhD ProjectThe University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Bryan School of Business & EconomicsThe University of San Francisco, School of ManagementTufts University, The Fletcher SchoolUniversity of Buffalo, School of ManagementUniversity of Colorado - Colorado Springs, College of BusinessUniversity of Michigan - DearbornUniversity of Rhode Island, College of Business AdministrationUniversity of Vermont, Sustainable Entrepreneurship MBA (SEMBA) programUniversity of Wisconsin - Whitewater, College of Business and EconomicsUniversity of Wisconsin Oshkosh, MBA ProgramWake Forest University, School of BusinessWeiler Family FoundationWestern Carolina UniversityWillamette University, MBAAbu Dhabi University Avraam PapastathopoulosThe University of Akron Michael J. Berthelot Henry L. DietzThe University of Alabama Thomas W. Armstrong James F. Barger Herbert A. Barr Lisa J. Fain Josey Margaret E. Hudson Christopher M. Krebs Rodney M. Kreps Bruce C. McAlister George R. Rea Edgar L. Reynolds James P. Tate Catherine A. YeagerUniversity of Alabama at Birmingham Jeffrey I. Stone Armin K. TilleyUniversity at Albany, State University of New York Mark E. Fronk Robert Stoddard Edward J. WehleThe American University Francis D. TuggleAppalachian State University Brian W. Lund Sallie O. SimpsonArizona State University Heidi Choy Donald K. Ellis John D. Farrell Robert R. Gruman William K. Rapp

University of Arkansas James L. Ashmore O. L. Bodenhamer Richard M. Bushkuhl Sheila Counihan Oneta C. Cox John W. Ingraham Richard Kjeldsen David R. Malone Ward N. Marianos* Donald F. McNiel Robert P. Taylor Robert E. WahlmanAugusta University H. M. OsteenUniversity of Baltimore Stephen P. CaddenBaruch College - The City University of New York Swee-Lim L. Chia Wayne Danson Gary S. Eisenkraft Lee A. Feldman John Karabec Samuel M. Miller Edwin B. Morris Samuel G. Ryan Henry B. Schram Jerome A. Seidman Saul H. WadowskiBaylor University Robert A. FitzBentley University David P. Demarco Karen C. Watkins Matthew R. WizemanBoise State University Sharon E. Nielsen Pieter M. YtsmaBoston College Philip A. Bertolo Michael G. Faucher Mary Ann L. Hart James R. Kearnan Henry K. Kelly Gary R. Siegel Richard E. ValliereBoston University Donna Buchholz Harvey A. Creem Robert C. Gorin Francis R. KimballMary Ann L. Hart James R. Kearnan Henry K. Kelly Gary R. Siegel Richard E. ValliereBoston University Donna Buchholz Harvey A. Creem Robert C. Gorin Francis R. KimballAlan J. Rosenblum Richard A. ScheidBowling Green State University Richard L. Foran Michael W. HoffmanUniversity at Buffalo, State University of New York Robert D. Glidden Calvin J. Haller Daryl R. Nitkowski Richard A. Shick

All gifts reflect donations received between March 1, 2015 and February 29, 2016. *Deceased

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University of California, Berkeley Leonard A. Aplet Melvin L. Bacharach James A. Craft Diane M. Downend James F. Duggan Jennifer L. Eccles Leland E. Leisz Gerhard G. Mueller Kenji TomitaUniversity of California, Davis Mark A. NelsonUniversity of California, Irvine James F. Elliott Walter A. MearesUniversity of California, Los Angeles Chapter Bernard D. Fischer Irwin D. Goldring Gerald Lippey Margaret E. Phillips Ridgway L. Pope Dana R. Richardson J. G. Wallace West D. WhittakerCalifornia State Polytechnic University, Pomona Edwin E. GibsonCalifornia State University, Bakersfield Donna J. GoinsCalifornia State University, Chico Frank Pangburn William A. SpoonerCalifornia State University, Fresno James D. Hallowell Susan L. Schweda Gregory K. SivaslianCalifornia State University, Fullerton Cecile L. McKeeCalifornia State University, Long Beach Smita Y. Katbamna Beate M. Morrow David S. Parkin Susan V. Parsons Robert L. Pitts Susan L. Volmer Russell E. WalkerCalifornia State University, Los Angeles Diana J. Butts George J. WalendowskiCalifornia State University-San Bernardino Kimberly J. HalesUniversity of California, Los Angeles J. K. Clancy Robert A. Frye Ross E. RoederCanisius College Reginald B. Newman Nicholas F. Urbanski Jeffrey G. WagnerCase Western Reserve University Eugene A. Demonet Sheila S. Jackson

Henry Ott-HansenUniversity of Central Florida Jacqueline E. Keith M. D. RenoCentrum Catolica Graduate Business School Luis E. CaballeroChapman University Michelle R. ClarkUniversity of Chicago Thomas W. Davis Donald G. Kempf Sebastien Sarlandie Richard J. Weiland Kuno A. WylerUniversity of Cincinnati Thomas R. ReynoldsClark Atlanta University Gbemisola S. AwoniyiClayton State University Victoria L. WilliamsClemson University Ronnie L. JowersCleveland State University Linda H. RogalskiCollege of William & Mary Kevin J. Lee Brantley S. Orrell Robert J. Traynor Hays T. WatkinsUniversity of Colorado Boulder Thomas G. Brown Robert S. Graham Edward C. Mitchell Megan A. YoungColumbia University-MBA Rein Abel Richard M. Cryan Rajan Dev Cyril H. Hermele Robert L. Hoguet Richard T. Lebuhn John E. Meyer Richard T. Morena William W. Morris Diana M. Sattelberger Bartholomew J. TortellaConcordia University Lionel CocheyUniversity of Connecticut Paul E. Breunich Lindley M. Franklin David J. Landers James Nuttall Gregory K. PhelpsCreighton University Bryan K. BrownUniversity of Denver Mark H. Alldredge Sylvester Houston Thomas A. Przelomiec Stacy A. RuskinDePaul University Thomas E. Deming Howard S. Goss Scott F. Maxson Ellen Miller Gary S. RichmanUniversity of Detroit Mercy Kathleen D. Aznavorian Jaime F. Encinas Jacob RehmannDrake University Chapter Anne E. Hilton

Frederick N. Peters Daniel B. Peterson Daniel E. Prall Donald F. RichardDrexel University Edward K. Klees Paul B. WieandDuquesne University Francis J. Nowalk Kevin P. Prykull William H. WhiteEast Carolina University Beth S. Eckstein William H. PowellEastern Illinois University Janet TreichelEastern Michigan University Michael W. Krell Lisa J. McGrathEmory University Ernest E. Ferguson Katherine B. Gibson William L. WestbrookFairleigh Dickinson University William C. KulkensThe Florida State University Mark R. Arrigo William S. Curry John A. Lemine David WilliamsUniversity of Florida John C. Appel George M. Boger John Slaboch Walter J. Smith Susan B. WasherFordham University Michael A. Fortini Francis J. Heffron James A. Peko Diane K. Turner John-Charles Van EsscheGeorge Mason University Eric J. Malloy Carol ShapiroThe George Washington University Mary S. McDaniel Allan I. Nappen Philip D. ReiffGeorgetown University Robert J. AlmeriniGeorgia State University Jack J. Edwards Soga O. Ewedemi Barry J. Hurford Larry F. Miller Eleanor B. Schwartz Richard E. ThompsonThe University of Georgia Johnnie L. ClarkUniversity of Hawaii at Manoa Christopher B. Drake Barry TaniguchiHofstra University Janet R. Cordano Charles J J. Mulhern Allen G. Oechsner Ann E. SuttonUniversity of Houston Gary Brush Marilyn M. Falkenhagen Janet E. Lancon

Suma H. Napper Kathy J. WelchUniversity of Houston- Clear Lake John M. KovachUniversity of Houston - Victoria James R. PariseauHoward University Monique Barnett Docia H. RandolphUniversity of Illinois Clifford R. Buys Thomas W. Hough Thomas B. Sleeman John D. Stein Henry D. Strunk John M. TuckerUniversity of Illinois at Chicago Lorraine MarwickIndiana State University David E. Gasner James M. GuttingIndiana University Frances H. Applegate John K. Austgen Mary S. Bonhomme Terri L. Clark Clarence H. Doninger William D. Fischer Ray H. Garrison Thomas T. Glidden John D. Grant Joseph Hriso William C. Jewell Howard Kahlenbeck James M. Krueger Gail E. Mullin Robert G. Nettles David B. Pearson Michael Pierce George W. Rohe Patricia M. Taylor John V. Thomas Tracy S. Turner Marilyn L. Vale Richard A. Warne Richard F. Weaver Ruth A. WebbIona College Devlin L. LansburgThe University of Iowa Jeffrey B. Warner Gerald W. Whitnable Victor W. WilsonJames Madison University Ann H. ShawverJohn Carroll University Kerry L. Kipfstuhl*Kansas State University Robert C. SalemUniversity of Kansas Richard D. LoveKennesaw State University Anbarasan VincentKent State University Dale T. Morsefield Aspy P. Palia Albert J. Pontius Terry D. Specht Robert A. VincentUniversity of Kentucky John C. TalbottLa Salle University

Susan C. Borkowski Michele J. GrayLehigh University Joan B. Cole Mark S. Kaufmann Philip R. Peller Robert A. RothLouisiana State University Virginia J. Kahnt James E. TaussigLouisiana Tech University Bruce W. Berry Linda S. Nelson Glenn B. WeaverUniversity of Louisville Denise D. SchoenbachlerLoyola University Chicago Joseph A. Benjamin Nelia D. Castillo Vivian G. Chiu Ed L. Kester Gail A. Marmol Kenneth A. Meister Craig G. Musgrave Gerard A. Swick Maria Tabrizi Kenneth R. WeigandLoyola University New Orleans Brandt J. Dufrene Marilyn D. FransonUniversity of Maine John I. SimpsonMarquette University Paul M. Neylon Brian M. O’Neill Teresa Parker Richard A. Romano Robert A. Schneider Lois A. Smith David A. StrazUniversity of Maryland Larry E. Groves Margaret Hicks Marsha K. Millonig Richard L. VogelUniversity of Massachusetts Paul David D. Bodin Antonio Butura David L. Cravedi Patrick N. Keyes Richard D. SchillingMcNeese State University Joe T. MillerUniversity of Memphis Michael L. Burriello Thomas M. ParzingerMiami University Christopher J. Oliss James W. PellotUniversity of Miami George M. Corrigan Monika NergerMichigan State University Dennis W. Duquette John S. Flintosh Lawrence D. Fredendall Elie Ghazal Edward E. Hagenlocker Douglas M. Klein E. C. Lesley Alexander C. McKeen James T. Morton Andrew G. SallThe University of Michigan

David C. Linnen Richard C. Slayton Richard C. Viinikainen Joseph D. WilliamsonUniversity of Minnesota Fred R. Friswold Duane R. Kullberg Hollis W. Rademacher James W. RustadUniversity of Missouri-Columbia Marilyn J. Pfefer Howard G. ShollMississippi State University Nancy L. Anderson Ronnie G. MichaelsUniversity of Mississippi Lee W. Randall Ivy J. WeedenUniversity of Missouri-Kansas City Joan L. Hartung Richard S. Loraine Nancy S. MilgramUniversity of Missouri-St. Louis Marsha T. Heine Lawrence E. Janoski Cheryl S. WeilandMissouri State University John E. WanamakerMontclair State University Frank X. NelsonUniversity of Nebraska at Lincoln Elif N. Akcayli William S. Eastwood Aloysius P. Rieman Frank SvobodaUniversity of Nebraska at Omaha M. G. NewportUniversity of New Orleans David J. Mumfrey Charles E. PriceNew York University Joseph E. Adiletta Lori M. Chan Paul Farber Stuart S. Flamberg Alan P. Gallo Henry E. Hubbe David M. Levine Robert S. Lipson Hiroshi Maenami Joseph P. Martori David K. Owens Samuel H. Owens Ralph Todaro Paul Farber Stuart S. Flamberg Alan P. Gallo Henry E. Hubbe David M. Levine Robert S. Lipson* Hiroshi Maenami Joseph P. Martori David K. Owens Samuel H. Owens Ralph TodaroNew York University Joyce Albers-Schonberg Daniel E. Davies Matthew T. Feldman Donald E. Foley

All gifts reflect donations received between March 1, 2015 and February 29, 2016. *Deceased

b e t a g a m m a s i g m a . o r g | 2 9 Peter C. Luppino Max Salas Glenn G. Schanel Joshua C. Schiowitz Gunda E. VesqueNicholls State University Marguerite Knight-ErwinNorfolk State University Santosh K. ChoudhuryThe University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Lacy G. Baynes Rajib Ghosh Jack M. Harris Lisa J. Hendel Nannette E. McNally William K. Rollins Bradford B. WaltersNorth Dakota State University Randolph E. ChristiansonUniversity of North Texas Stephen K. Brewer Hugh D. ErskineNortheastern University Thomas P. Brady Richard C. Cloran Charles J. Crockett James M. Fowler Todd R. Provost Stephen P. Schultz Baker A. Smith Gary H. SteinNorthern Arizona University Douglas P. Busch James O. CarnesNorthern Illinois University Denis M. DesmondNorthwestern University Charles R. Enever Rudolph E. Farber Kenneth A. Fry John S. ThodeUniversity of Notre Dame Charles B. Ammann Katherine R. Crow Dennis C. McInerney John J. Moellering Timothy G. Neroni Leo V. Ryan Joseph A. WemhoffOakland University Mark D. Guthrie C.S.B. Kulesza Patricia J. O’DonnellThe Ohio State University Dale J. Hasson Stephen J. Hopkins Stephen E. Houck Bonnie L. Kaser Charles R. Kinskey William B. Patrick Carol N. Richards William L. RobertsOhio University Larry R. WebbOklahoma State University M. Elana PoulinThe University of Oklahoma Charles T. Doyle Cheryl Moore Sandy H. Singleton Katherene P. Terrell Robert L. Terrell Elizabeth K. Willard

Old Dominion University George K. WilliamsOregon State University Brent C. WalkerUniversity of the Pacific Lisa M. WongThe Pennsylvania State University John T. Fogarty Douglas Henry Douglas P. Henry Thomas M. Mallison James B. Miller Jack W. Sharer Paul H. YeagleUniversity of Pennsylvania George Akel Michael S. Blechman Peter C. Brockett Libo B. Fineberg Paul C. Flattery Marc I. Giber Albert Greenbaum Charles F. Gross Frank M. Hatheway Thomas L. Markl Mary V. Reynolds Norman RosnerUniversity of Pittsburgh Jeffrey R. Evans Gerald B. Faigle Jens T. Jung Rudolph R. Kusbit John C. Lauchnor James A. Maochi Donald H. Peters Richard S. Pizzedaz William J. Simpson Thomas J. YoganPortland State University Jennifer M. Ott-RhodesUniversity of Portland Sandra A. SuranUniversity of Rhode Island Louise A. Bookman Sean P. McKennaUniversity of Richmond Robert S. UkropRobert Morris University Kristina F. Broumand Patrick J. Litzinger Rande SommaRochester Institute of Technology Cathleen M. HagenUniversity of Rochester Gary P. Johnson Paul R. RatoffRoosevelt University Chapter M.A. M. Karnezis Frank A. Maxson James F. O’Bert Robert A. SperlRutgers-State University of New Jersey-Newark Michael T. Bucci Sanjay V. Mirpuri Samuel J. Sirota* Richard D. WhiteheadRutgers-The State University of New Jersey-Camden John Marino-DeablerSacred Heart University Christine LangeSaint Louis University

Gary M. Gaertner David A. Gardiner Ellen HarshmanSam Houston State University Charles E. AmatoSan Diego State University George G. Callaway Victoria E. Condos Charles M. MedvitzUniversity of San Diego Roy A. Pearson Jay SchrimacherUniversity of San Francisco David R. Dull James L. McKenna George W. ParkersonSan Francisco State University Catherine A. SousaSan Jose State University Charles Q. Bulygo Dave L. Coles Kam S. LamSanta Clara University William W. Allman Kent Brian B. Bathurst Robert T. Burson David W. Gervais Anthony J. McKeon Mary D. NiemillerSeattle University Terrence C. KabanuckShippensburg University Robert J. Lieblein Marie R. McDonaldSonoma State University Wallace M. LowryUniversity of South Alabama Sheryl B. DanielUniversity of South Carolina Elmer F. Frick Harold P. PruittUniversity of South Dakota Charles A. JacobUniversity of South Florida Wondel Smith Loretta S. LoftusUniversity of Southern California Robert S. Brezovec Jay H. Grodin Terrence O. Hughes James D. Leewong Stephen M. Mandich Mel P. Melsheimer Douglas D. Naylor Richard Phegley David M. Rich Jason WhiteSoutheastern Louisiana University Daniel G. HotardSouthern Illinois University Carbondale Roy A. CauseySouthern Illinois University Edwardsville James A. MorrellSouthern Methodist University Laura C. Baldwin Zola L. George Christopher C. Loy Chad S. Plotkin

Nancy K. PoinsatteSouthern University and A&M College James J. MooreSt. John’s University Diane M. PalumboSuffolk University Lisa A. Carter Francis Perfetuo Susan O. OlivierSusquehanna University Raymond C. LauverSyracuse University Donald D. Brown Craig J. Ettinger Frederick H. WeeksThe University of Tampa Beverly D. Bodine Gregg M. SchoppmanTemple University Daniel R. Burkus John J. Mehalchin Donald P. Mitrane Edward F. ObazaThe University of Tennessee at Knoxville Carolyn P. Boggess R. G. Manley Lynda L. Newton Barry P. SebrallaTexas A&M University Scott B. SloanThe University of Texas at Arlington Mark C. HenselThe University of Texas at Austin Carol A. ShepherdThe University of Texas at El Paso Woody L. HuntThe University of Texas at San Antonio Deborah A. PoolThe University of Texas at Tyler Jack L. Phillips Joseph Z. OrnelasTexas Christian University David E. Bell Forrest H. GoodallTexas Tech University Patrick J. Killman Ray L. RobbinsThunderbird School of Global Management Slobodan JaksicUniversity of Toledo Robert E. Hansen Thomas A. Klein William M. Ligibel Borge R. Reimer Susan A. SmothermanTulane University Stephen M. Berman James E. Boland Lance B. YoungUniversity of Utah Anne L. Christensen Laurence D. Haverhals Jeffrey B. Higgs Anupama Phene John G. Pickard Todd B. SchullVillanova University

Richard P. Caporaso Joseph E. Curci Jeff P. Evans Christopher J. StruttVirginia Commonwealth University John E. Ball Christopher P. JohnsonVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Hermann Buerger Ramon D. Caogarcia Edward M. MazzeUniversity of Virginia Robert P. Black George P. Buckey Derwood S. Chase Paul B. Kamke Brian S. RobertsWashington and Lee University Reid T. Campbell Julian B. MohrUniversity of Washington Bothell Lisa M. Beal-AustinWashington University Whitney D. Erickson Diane E. Harrison Patricia M. Korando Howard E. Lovely Robert E. Markland Jenifer A. Minke-Girard Rowland Ricketts Maria W. Schweizer Henry L. Seifert Mark V. Stafford Joe E. Strawn John K. WallaceUniversity of Washington Seattle Robert E. HallowellWayne State University Debbie L. Bernstein James C. Fyffe Larry A. Rose Mark D. SchmidtThe University of West Florida Stephen J. Basel George V. ShermanUniversity of West Georgia J. M. MillerWest Virginia University Phyllis A. Arnold E. E. Byrd Patrick C. Mann Marie L. PreziosoWestern Kentucky University Craig L. BallengerWestern Michigan University Jeffrey S. Fecko Lowell E. MarxWestern Washington University Wenderly J. PorterfieldWidener University Clarence C. JamisonUniversity of Wisconsin-La Crosse Glenn H. EvensonUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison Merri B. Beckfield Thomas E. Dapp

Charles L. Edwards David Geraldson Daniel L. Goelzer Robert Roemer James Schommer Glenn O. TorgersonUniversity of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Jeffrey G. Hilber David W. StaudtUniversity of Wisconsin Oshkosh Daniel A. Bollom Larry R. Koeppen John H. MortensenUniversity of Wisconsin-Whitewater James A. Karpowicz George TesarWright State University Frank James Thomas E. ShafferUniversity of Wyoming Randall W. Ludden

Matching GiftsAdobeThe Amgen FoundationAMSTED Industries FoundationBank of America Charitable FoundationBank Of The WestBristol-Myers Squibb FoundationCommunities Foundation of TexasDuke Energy FoundationEmersonEOG ResourcesGE FoundationJK GroupMonsantoNetwork for GoodNorthern TrustPfizer FoundationPhillips66Silicon Valley Community FoundationToysRUs

In-Kind DonorsBecker Professional EducationUniversity of Florida MBA ProgramsKaplan SchweserKaplan Test PrepLIFE! Inc.Next Ascent LLCSage LLC

All gifts reflect donations received between March 1, 2015 and February 29, 2016. *Deceased

For Amit Lal, the pathway to college was met with more roadblocks than

most people encounter in a lifetime. So he moved the roadblocks.

BGS Media Manager Glennon Williams spoke with Lal by phone in April.

GW: Were you familiar with Beta Gamma Sigma before you were inducted?

AL: No, but I saw a couple of people getting inducted and I was like, “How to I get to be a part of this?” The answer I was given was that it was invite-only and you had to have a high GPA. I made it my priority to do what I needed to do, and—behold!—I was inducted a couple years later.

GW: So, what did that honor mean to you? AL: It was a big honor to me. I come from a very poor family

in the Fiji Islands. We had just one or two books for the whole class in school. So, for me to get inducted, it made me realize that if I wanted to, I could accomplish something. I wanted to be a part of Beta Gamma Sigma. It was a big thing—a very, very big thing.

GW: What brought you from Fiji to the U.S? What was that transition like?

AL: The level of education in Fiji was not up to par to what my family thought I should or could be getting, so I came to the United States in 2000.

Coming here, I didn’t know English. The only terms that I knew I actually learned from watching TV in school. I learned my English skills through “Sesame Street.” I learned how to interact in English through that show, and when I came to the States, that’s all I really knew.

Also, when I first got here, I did not have any transferrable skills. For me to be in high school, learn English, and learn the subjects was a very, very big challenge. But after three years of high school, I was able to pick up the English language.

Then I decided to go to college. The expense was very high, and there wasn’t a lot of financial help open to me.

Amit Lal, BGS member since 2013

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So, I went to a school in Florida, got my bachelor’s in computer animation/graphic design, and started working. This was at a time when the movie industry and design industry went down, and they let a lot of us go. I actually fell into depression. I didn’t know what to do.

But after about four or five months, it hit me. I came this far, I came to a foreign country, I learned the English language, I went through high school. And one bad college experience and job experience shouldn’t shut me out for life. I decided I needed to go back to school. I came to the University of the Pacific, and the deans helped me get scholarships and complete school. The only problem was my first bachelor’s degree wasn’t accredited, so I had to start over.

GW: But you graduated?AL: Yes. After I completed my bachelor’s I stayed for my

master’s. I’ll be walking in about a week here with my masters degree. I start my PhD in September.

GW: You’ve been a member of BGS for three years. Did you know what to expect of membership?

AL: To be honest, I didn’t know what the benefits were. But after meeting the alumni and members, I started seeing that Beta Gamma Sigma was a very big network. It has given me the ability to connect with other members and share interests. If I have a goal in mind, I can reach out and see if someone else has that goal and if they have accomplished it. To be a part of an honor society this high, I just think it’s a privilege.

GW: What was your family’s reaction to your success?AL: My dad and my mom couldn’t really help me at first

because they were struggling with their own stuff. But once I got admitted to U of P and started my bachelor’s, their thinking turned around 180 degrees, and it was just crazy how much support they started giving me.

I’m the first in my family line to graduate with a bachelor’s and a master’s, which is a big thing. There are people trying to come from Fiji just to see my graduation.

They’ve been saving up for over a year to come see me, and I can’t disappoint them.

GW: You were very animated and enthusiastic at the Global Leadership Summit. I’m curious, with the GLS six or seven months behind you, has your experience stuck with you, and is it something that will have an impact on your future?

AL: Yes. I especially liked the StrengthsFinder. I think I was the only one in my group that was [identified] as an “activator.” That, I still use to this day. Knowing that I am an activator, I am able to start the conversation, able to get people out of their comfort zones. If they’re shelled up, I can un-shell them and have them shine.

The type of people that I met in my [Global Leadership Summit] group were very diverse. And each of us were good at different things. It was amazing to see that in action when we did the case [competition] at the end. It was interesting and I loved it. I loved it.

GW: Do you see yourself continuing to stay involved with Beta Gamma Sigma in the future? Maybe connecting with alumni or people from the Global Leadership Summit?

AL: I actually do keep in contact with four of my [GLS] group members. We became really good faithful friends and we talk daily about our experiences and what we learned and what they’re doing with their lives.

I also connect with my alumni here on campus. One of our professors is in charge of BGS, so he keeps us updated on meetings, receptions, and dinners. I do want to be part the future of Beta Gamma Sigma and let them know that even if you have a rough start or if you don’t even know English, it’s possible to do what you want to do.

I want to get my PhD and teach at the junior college level, because I think students at that level really need help and motivation. I didn’t have anyone to guide me. I had to find it myself. I want to be there to guide students who are less privileged, students who think they can’t make it. I think I can help them overcome these barriers.

b e t a g a m m a s i g m a . o r g | 3 1

3 2 | H O N O R S J u n e 2 0 1 6

In today’s crowded communications space, you have to be concise. The elevator pitch (so called because it lasts only as long as an elevator ride) is oftentimes the only way to get your foot in the door with a prospective client or employer.

Beta Gamma Sigma wants to hear your elevator pitch! Read the business scenario below, and then craft a speech that will earn buy-in from the CEO. Record and submit your pitch via video, and we will post it on social media for a member vote. We’ll award the top three entries a FREE Professor Elwell stuffed owl.

Here’s the scenario: A major consulting firm has discovered that top business school graduates in high-paying fields are being supplanted by “hard-charging achievers who are expected to find ways to marry their business acumen with social impact.”

As the Chief People Person of a national investment firm, you are well aware of this trend in hiring. Through preliminary recruitment screenings, you’ve found that many of your potential candidates are questioning your firm’s lack of commitment to conscious capitalism.

The timing couldn’t be more critical. Your firm is looking to expand globally in the next year with a 25% increase in staff. You need to convince your CEO to make social impact a firm priority so that you can recruit the talent (s)he needs. And you only have two minutes to do it. GO!

Here are the rules: • Your pitch must be between 30 seconds and two minutes long.• Your pitch must be recorded as a video.• Your pitch must be received by midnight, August 23.

Accepted submissions will be posted on the BGS website and social media channels through September 20. Winners will be featured in the October issue of HONORS magazine.

Learn more and submit your entry at betagammasigma.org/elevator-pitchOnly appropriate material will be considered. BGS reserves the right to use all submitted materials for promotional purposes.

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PAIDPRESORT,INC

125 Weldon Parkway • Maryland Heights, MO 63043-3101betagammasigma.org • bgshonors@betagammasigma.org • (314) 432-5650

Beta Gamma Sigma’s Global Leadership Summit is your chance to join the Best in Business for a one-of-a-kind, student-driven think tank and to capitalize on your

leadership strengths. Don’t miss out! Register today! Seats are filling fast!

• November 3-6, 2016• Dallas, Texas

• Only $575 USD to register before September 15, 2016!* (includes materials, all meals and 3 nights’ hotel accommodations)

• Register at www.betagammasigma.org/gls *Registration fee goes up to $625 after 9-15-16.