*Ithaca, NY, October 24, 5-7pm
Johnson School Alumni Happy Hour at the Statler Hotel bar with students, staff and faculty of the Johnson School.

* Boston, MA, November 7, 6:30-8:30pm
Evening Reception with Dean Swieringa. Come hear an update on what's new at the Johnson School directly from the Dean! RSVP to jgsmalum@cornell.edu or call (800) 847-2082 ext 2.

Los Angeles, CA, November 7
CEN LA Presents "What’s Hot? University Technology Transfer."

New York City, NY, November 12
CEN Metro NY Presents Rich Marin '75, MBA '76 - "Graceful Exits and Ripened Lemons," Cornell Club NYC.

*London, England, Nov 14, 6:30pm
Johnson School Alumni Happy Hour, Zander Bar. Reconnect with other Johnson School alumni in London and talk to Laurie Sedgwick from our Career Management Center. Location: 45 Buckingham Gate, Westminster. Zander Bar is located within walking distance of Buckingham Palace and the House of Commons. The closest tube is St. James Park. Take the Petty France exit and it is a two minute walk. The closest British Rail Station is Victoria.

*New York City, NY, Nov 16, 11am
Johnson School Tailgate at the Cornell vs. Columbia football game. Please join us to see old friends, meet new ones, and cheer on the Big Red! Location: Columbia's Football Stadium in Manhattan. The gate entrance to the Columbia athletic fields is on the corner of 218th & Broadway - walk up towards the soccer field and we will be in the tailgate area on your right. Our headquarters will be a green Jeep Grand Cherokee bearing a large red Johnson School banner! Beer, soda, and (some) food will be provided. Follow the link if you want to order tickets to the game.

Silicon Valley, CA, December 5, 6pm
Co-sponsored by CEN and Cornell Silicon Valley, "Entrepreneurship in The New Millennium." A Keynote Presentation by Cornell Entrepreneur of the Year 2002, Rob Ryan '69, Founder of Ascend Communications and the Entrepreneur America Bootcamp.

San Francisco, CA, January 5, 4pm
Co-sponsored by CEN and Cornell Silicon Valley, "Navigating Change (Again!) The 2003 Annual CEN Dinner". Alumni and guests will join Ken Derr '59, MBA '60 Chairman of Chevron (retired) and Johnson School students who are visiting for Week in Silicon Valley for a breathtaking networking, dinner, and keynote address at the top of the Bank of America Building in San Francisco at the Carnelian Room.

New York, NY, January 8
Abby J. Cohen will be speaking at a CEN event during the Johnson School students' Week on Wall Street trip. Details TBD.

Seattle, WA, January 9, 6pm
CEN Seattle Presents a Venture Capital Panel.

*Johnson School specific events.

View and search a complete listing of Cornell University events.

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The ad is running in the current (October 21) issue of Business Week. It will also appear in the November 4 Wall Street Journal and the November 25 issue of Business Week.

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Jim Morgan '63, chairman and CEO of Applied Materials, Inc., is one of three innovative leaders featured in the Nasdaq’s new broadcast ad campaign, Visionaries. Morgan, along with Dell Computers’ Michael Dell and Costco’s James Sinegal, provides a few choice soundbytes on leadership, the leading edge, and inspiration.

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The CMC’s Karin Ash on why certain alumni may be more helpful to new MBAs... Maureen O’Hara on up-and-coming European stock exchanges...Mike Hostetler on ethics and Exec Ed...Luther Tai '02 is ready for his closeup.... Check out these headline makers, and more, in this month’s Johnson School in the News.

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The Sage Hall print is a limited edition Giclee, the finest, most enduring art print available today. The image is nearly identical to the original, on fine Arches cold press 140 lb. watercolor paper with deckled edges. Size: image=11.75"h x 17"w, with white border 16" x 20". Signed and numbered by artist. Only 30 available. $180.00 plus shipping. Contact: Nancy Neaher Maas, www.nancymaas.com.

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If you are not already a member of CEN, now is your chance! The Cornell Entrepreneur Network presents a variety of events that foster business networking, insights and self- interest for Cornell alumni (see CEN events listed in "Upcoming Events").

CEN is already in 6 U.S. cities, including New York, LA, Boston, Silicon Valley, Ithaca, and Seattle, and is currently launching CEN Greater Washington DC. Don't miss the chance to build your business network, gain valuable insights from the panel and join CEN. Membership in CEN is free and we recommend that you join today.

More About CEN.

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The 2002 Business Week MBA program rankings were released on October 14. The Johnson School moved from #8 in 2000 to #11 in 2002. The overall ranking is based on MBA graduate rankings (45%), corporate recruiter rankings (45%), and intellectual capital (10%).

We are very pleased with our graduate rankings—#2 overall, #1 in responding to student concerns, and #6 in faculty quality. However, our recruiter ranking dropped from #11 in 2000 to #13 in 2002 and our intellectual capital ranking dropped from #4 in 2000 to #12 in 2002.

While we believe that the quality of a business school cannot be adequately captured in a media ranking or survey, third party assessments are important. Each media ranking differs in its methods and focus and reflects different perceptual points of view and emphasis. It is clear that the high standards we have set for ourselves are not yet consistently reflected in these measures. A ready example is a new ranking, released on October 12, from the Economist Intelligence Unit that annually publishes the Which MBA? guide. In that survey the Johnson School is ranked #15 in the world (#12 among U.S. schools), yet we are the top-rated school on their criterion of "personal development and educational experience."

It also is clear that business schools are changing rapidly in response to a dynamic business world and higher expectations for performance. Our competitors are not standing still—they are investing heavily in new facilities, programs, initiatives, and activities. The bar is being raised and we need to meet the new, higher standards. We will continue to critically assess and improve our programs to respond to the changing needs of our students and the business world.

In the past year we revamped our approach to career management, introducing two-dozen new initiatives to better prepare students for a job market that softened dramatically. This summer we implemented the year-long Career Management Program to guide and prepare students for all phases of recruiting and individual career searches. We also are aggressively pursuing new companies that have not recruited at the school in the past or are unable to do so in the current economy. We have expanded our curriculum in areas of ethics, globalization, and technology. We introduced a new finance immersion program and expanded opportunities for students interested in entrepreneurship by leveraging the opportunities at Cornell. We have broadened our intellectual capital base by adding more full-time faculty in information technology, finance, and marketing. And we will continue to enhance our visibility and profile in the public arena.

Our goal is to be consistently recognized as a top 10 business school. To accomplish this goal, we value your commitment and support as partners in the process. A strong alumni network is a key factor in admissions, career services and other areas vital to the ongoing success of the Johnson School. We are committed to strengthening our alumni relations program, and I will keep you up to date on important changes in that area. For all of you who have participated in these rankings—or who will be asked to do so in the future—I thank you for your time and support.

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Daniel Huttenlocher, Cornell professor of computer science, has been elected the first John P. and Rilla Neafsey Professor of Computing and Information Science and Business. John and Rilla Neafsey are long-time benefactors of both Cornell and the Johnson School. John Neafsey ('61, BME '62, MBA '63) is a Cornell trustee emeritus as well as a member of the Johnson School's advisory council. The professorship reflects Neafsey's belief in the future importance of technology to business management practices as well as in Cornell's strengths in this area.

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Congratulations to the Class of ’02! Even though they were facing a national economy in the doldrums, and one of the harshest job markets in recent memory, the class members pulled together to raise the largest class gift in Johnson School history. Inspired by their spirit of giving, alumni from other years pledged additional funds to make the final number even more impressive. By unanimous vote, the money will go toward establishing a Johnson School event to bring together alumni from all class years and all corners of the globe.

How did they do it? How much did they raise? Exactly what is this new, global alumni event? Stay tuned for more details in the Philanthropy at the Johnson School report and Enterprise.

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The Leading Edge student club this year established a monthly award to recognize student leadership contributions within the Johnson School community.

Christina Reddin '03 was recognized as September’s Student Leader of the Month. Chris was nominated by her peers for her outstanding leadership in organizing the Johnson Outdoor Experience held during Orientation for first year students. Not only did she lead the process to revamp many parts of the event, but she was able to successfully rally a large number of students to help with the implementation. Chris has a natural leadership style, is open to the ideas of others and is great at delegating and trusting her team. She is an agile leader, able to make changes and redirect quickly when needed and thinks broadly about the implications of her actions. A key to her leadership success is her energy and enthusiasm; she is a great motivator and an inspiration to all involved.

Ramakrishna (Nish) Venkata Nistala '03, the October recipient, has displayed an incredible breadth of involvement. He organized the Walk Down Route 128 last year, as well as the inaugural Panel on International Business. In his role as president of the High Tech Club, he has created a role specifically to bring TMOs into the leadership team, and has been active in supporting first years through résumé reviews and specific job advice. In addition, Nish has been working with the school administration on building the consulting offerings that are available to students. The nomination cited the following leadership traits: ability to motivate others, inclusiveness, effective delegation, friendliness, and dedication. It is these leadership qualities that allow Nish to be so influential and to make a difference.

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A group of 30 outstanding minority students visited the campus September 27-29 for Johnson Means Business. With impressive work backgrounds in such fields as IT, consulting, financial analysis and accounting, these students—who hold degrees from schools such as Columbia and Drexel—will be applying to business school this year.

JMB is part of the Johnson School’s efforts to increase the percentage of minority students who apply to, and ultimately enroll in, the Johnson School. Sponsored exclusively by the Citigroup Foundation, the program debuted in October 2001, when Johnson School MBA students hosted 21 prospectives. The program is directed by Angela Noble-Grange ‘94, director of the Johnson School’s Office of Women and Minorities in Business (OWMB).

In addition, Noble-Grange has been receiving some high-level notice from the press. The Johnson School’s diversity efforts, led by Noble-Grange and the OWMB, are profiled in "Success Story," on the Graduate Management Admission Council's site. As the article points out, to compete in today's marketplace, organizations must find new solutions to serve the needs of an increasingly diverse U.S. society, tap into the largely unrealized potential of business leaders from underrepresented groups, and leverage the strengths of an ever-diversifying workforce.

The Wall Street Journal’s website also ran a bylined article by Noble-Grange on diversity, under the headline, "Making B-School Attractive to Women and Minorities." Noble-Grange subsequently fielded readers' questions on the site.

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Now You Can Upload Your Résumé to JAC!
The Johnson Alumni Connection is not only the best way to get in touch with classmates and other Johnson School alums, but it is also a great networking tool! Whether you are looking for contacts in a specific industry or region, or are searching for valuable Johnson School talent to fill positions at your company, we encourage you to upload your résumé today to help make this an even more valuable resource! Login to JAC and click on "Upload Résumé" under your profile (if you need to be reminded of your username and password, please e-mail this request to jgsmalum@cornell.edu).

Johnson Gear Available On-Line
To view and purchase Johnson School clothing and accessories, please visit www.jsoutfitters.com. All proceeds benefit Johnson student clubs.