Courtesy: Rebecca Henriksen
Hello, T-birds!
I hope you’ve had a great week! This week’s Super First Friday events were a great success! (And a few more are happening next week!) Super First Friday events were sponsored by 52 alumni chapters in 21 countries on 5 continents. First Tuesday is a very special Thunderbird tradition, one that is the envy of business schools everywhere. A special thanks to our current students who attended the Phoenix event. You make us proud!
Thanks also to those who attended today’s First Friday Feedback session. It was a productive session and especially nice that Dr. Penley and Pete Hill, Thunderbird’s Chief Operations Officer, were able to join us. (The next session is scheduled for April 4th.)
Here is what you’ll find in this week’s update:
1. Attention graduating students: If you have petitioned to graduate and plan on walking in the upcoming Spring Commencement ceremony on Friday, May 9, you should have received an email this week from our Institutional Events department to complete a mandatory online information form. This form will collect information needed for displaying and pronouncing your name at the ceremony, uploading your special departing message and requesting your tickets for friends and family. Please take 5 minutes to complete the form. If you did not receive the email or have any questions, please contact events@thunderbird.edu.
2. Thunderbird License Plates: As graduation approaches and there are those of you thinking of staying Arizona, why not donate back to your school through a fun Thunderbird designed car license plate!? Each T-bird plate costs $25 annually, of which $17 goes directly to Thunderbird. There are over 3,000 alumni in Arizona and growing. Last year, Thunderbird received $7,000 from ADOT. The year prior, T-bird received $5,000. The plates are popular once alumni are able to see it. The remaining $8 goes to ADOT for freeway maintenance, etc. To purchase plates go to: http://servicearizona.com
3. TEM Lab presentations ‘N’ Happy Hour Meet n Greet, Wednesday March 12th & Thursday March 13th: The Thunderbird Emerging Market Business Association (TEMBA) is happy to welcome all the Spring TEM Lab alum on campus and is conducting informative sessions with each of the ‘Spring TEM Labers’. We encourage all students and faculty to join us in welcoming them home and learning more about their experiences. We aim to share with the student body the insight gained, as well as the unique process of TEM Lab consulting in an emerging market. These sessions will also provide students an opportunity to participate in discussions about the project and ask questions. We are also giving students an opportunity to have one-on-one interaction at the ‘Happy Hour Meet n Greet’ event at the pub on Thursday, March 13th. Contact Siva Palli at sivaswaroop.palli@global.t-bird.edu if you have any questions. Be sure to save the date!
4. TEM LAB Kick-off competition: TEMBA is proud to present its flagship TEM LAB kick-off competition that offers the students a unique opportunity to find TEM LAB opportunities for students on campus and also get a chance to WIN $500. The competition will officially start after the end of our TEM LAB presentations next Wednesday and Thursday, March 12 and 13. We also want to congratulate our last trimester winner, Aaron Montenegro for winning the Kick-off competition for bringing the Peru TEM LAB to campus.
5. Celebration to recognize the J&J Be Vital Challenge winning team: Last term, an exceptional group of T-birds entered J&J’s Be Vital Challenge and due to the superiority of Thunderbird students, won FIRST PRIZE in this competitive event including a $10,000 cash prize! Participating T-birds include:
Project Leader – Nikhil Purwaha
Video direction, compilation, background score & Sound Mixing- Anush Kumar
Script – Sneha Vijay, Michael Reardon, Jenn Patton, Matt Erley, Thomas Carpenter
Narration – Mathew Erley, Thomas Carpenter
Recording – Daryl James
Marketing – Deepali Ramaiah, Sneha Vijay, Yemile Ojeda, Thunderbird Marketing department
Concept – Abhishek Nagaraju, Alejandra Fernandez, Soumya Sivadas, Anush Kumar, Deepali Ramaiah
Coordination – Abhishek Nagaraju
Picture and Video Credits (Thundercares spring 2013) – Nishit Bhada, Nima Gabchi
Promotions – T-bird alumni – Kinjal Gandhi, Michael Cottrell
Special thanks – Wynona Heim (thunderbird for good)
Join the Thunderbird community to view the winning video, see a special message from J&J, and celebrate the winning team with a ceremonial check presentation – and enjoy an ice cream reception! Please join us on Friday, March 14th, 1:30 p.m. in the Thunderbird Commons! (See attached invitation)
6. Writing Center hours for exam week & spring training: During exam week, writing peer tutors will be available for evening and weekend consultations in the Writing Center (IBIC). During spring training, hours are reduced, so please check availability on the Writing Center calendar online or posted outside our door.
7. Global Citizen Forum – March 28th: Coca-Cola, Unilever, Zappos.com, MillerCoors, Microsoft, Intel, TASER, Driscoll’s (and more) are coming to Thunderbird: Want a great opportunity to network with major companies and Thunderbird alumni?…Then attend the Global Citizen Forum on March 27-28th! Alumni and other professionals from leading companies will be on campus to participate in 2 panels, focusing on sustainability and the future of product and brand management. Panels are open to all students, faculty, and staff.
There are also 6 workshops (students must pre-register) on supply chain, marketing, advertising, technology, monitoring and evaluation, and entrepreneurship. LATEST UPDATE: The founders of TASER will be facilitating the “entrepreneurship” workshop!
There will also be a keynote luncheon at the Pavilion with the President of Intel’s Corporate Foundation (students must also pre-register for the lunch). On Thursday (3/27) evening, there will be a “speed networking” event, followed by a “Welcome Back Alumni” reception at the Pub from 8:30-10 pm, which is open to all students, faculty, and staff.
Want more information or to register for the luncheon, networking event, and/or workshops? If so, e-mail Lauren Simkulak at lauren.simkulak@global.t-bird.edu.
8. Economist ranks Thunderbird #3 in the world for “potential to network” (#1 for U.S. based schools): The following article ran on March 4, 2014 in the Economist: The secret-handshake club (Which MBA, Economist.com, March 4, 2014)
Top ten business schools, ranked by “potential to network”
| Rank | Business school | Country | |
| 1 | HEC School of Management, Paris | France | |
| 2 | Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School | Belgium | |
| 3 | Thunderbird School of Global Management | United States | |
| 4 | New York University – Leonard N Stern School of Business | United States | |
| 5 | University of California at Berkeley – Haas School of Business | United States | |
| 6 | University of Notre Dame – Mendoza College of Business | United States | |
| 7 | Warwick Business School | United Kingdom | |
| 8 | University of Southern California – Marshall School of Business | United States | |
| 9 | Melbourne Business School – University of Melbourne | Australia | |
| 10 | University of Virginia – Darden Graduate School of Business Administration | United States |
Pretty awesome!
9. Important Scholarship Information: The first deadline for competitive scholarships this trimester is March 10. Scholarships are open for all full-time students and full-time programs – including students who began in January 2014. For the details on which scholarships may be an option for you, review the spreadsheet carefully located in Scholarship area (under Financial Aid) on MTB.
Scholarship applications are due Monday, March 10th by 5 p.m. Glendale time. Review the spreadsheet for details!
Academic Excellence – Attended a UC school (Berkley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, Riverside, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, or Santa Cruz) with preferred Thunderbird GPA of 3.600 or above but no less than 3.000 and demonstrated academic excellence at Thunderbird. Students need to be in their 2nd trimester or beyond and the award is $1000.
General Motors – 2nd trimester or beyond students who are in good academic standing with a 3.000 cumulative GPA or better, be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident or eligible to work in the US under permanent employment (without sponsorship) and possess an interest in an automotive industry career. Students need to be in their 2nd trimester or beyond and there are two awards of $5000 each.
Be sure to review the Helpful Hints document for direction on the format to submit, including the Scholarship Cover Sheet. Applications may be dropped off with Sandra at the Reception Desk or via email to finaid@thunderbird.edu.
10. Special pre-Clinton Global Initiative Dinner, March 20th: Join Christine Moore, Ryan O’Neal, and other Laureate students from around the world at a special pre-Clinton Global Initiative dinner by filling out the very short linked application! https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/YBYYTHP. The deadline is midnight, March 8th!
What: Welcome dinner for the Laureate delegation at the Clinton Global Initiative University (CGIU)
Where: Monti’s Casa Vieja restaurant in Tempe, AZ, rides are available
When: 6:30 – 8:30pm on Thursday, March 20th.
Why: Laureate Education Good Ambassadors are coming from India, Germany, Turkey, South Africa, and Chile, to attend the Clinton Global Initiative University and we would like to welcome them to Phoenix.
Who are we: T-birds who are committed to social justice programs an interested in being ambassadors for our school.
11. Exchange Program: Applications for the fall 2014 Exchange Program are due Friday, March 14 at 4:00pm. Click here for detailed information regarding the Exchange Program.
12. Internship Registration & Practical Training Presentation: If you are interested in registering your summer internship or learning more about the Academic Training (AT for J-1 students), Curricular Practical Training (CPT) and/or Optional Practical Training (OPT) process, please attend this informative presentation on March 13th at 1:30p in Snell 22. Click here to learn more about the US work authorization process.
13. Bursar’s office now on 2nd floor of Herberger building: Just a quick note to let you know that the Bursar team is now located in the Business Office on the 2nd floor of the Herberger building.
14. Information from Glendale Police, battery thefts – UPDATE, Theft of Batteries from Boats/Travel Trailers & Work Vans: Our citizens are the eyes and ears in your neighborhoods. Detective Goitia has shared additional information on possible suspects & suspect vehicle related to the battery thefts. As you are out and about, please be on the lookout. Suspects are described as one white male and one Hispanic male in their 20’s driving what appears to be a newer model red Mazda RX-8 with black rims, sunroof, tinted windows and a possible partial Arizona license plate “DCT89”. If you locate the vehicle, and it is safe to do so, please note the time, location, vehicle make, model and full license plate and contact Detective Goitia at 623-930-2498. Detective Goitia asks you to call him ONLY if you locate a vehicle with a SIMILAR license plate matching this vehicle description. Leave a message if Detective Goitia is unavailable to answer the phone. Thank you for your continued support of our crime prevention programs. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us. If you are a victim and need to make a report, please call the Glendale Police Department non-emergency number 623-930-3000.
Alright, T-birds, that’s enough for now. Have a wonderful weekend and GOOD LUCK WITH FINALS!
All the best,
Rebecca