Michael Jordan said, "Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships."

I am delighted to report that we have scored several wins and one championship this year.

Our championship: A #1 national ranking by Bloomberg Businessweek for our part-time MBA program. In the past five years, we have seen our program climb from a Top-15 program, to the #6 program, to the #1 program in the country. That is due to the teamwork and intelligence of an outstanding faculty who delivers the program, world class staff who administer the program and the great students who enroll in the program and challenge themselves - and us - to excel every day, in every way.

Our wins this year include first-place finishes in the Russ Berrie Institute National Sales Challenge and the Dalhousie Business Ethics Case Competition. We also launched LSB Connect, a conference designed to help second-year students begin their professional development strategy.

These are just a few of the highlights you'll learn more about in this issue of our LSB Alumni Update. I invite you to relax, read, learn and be impressed: the LSB marches on in grand fashion. I hope that you can come see for yourself during Homecoming in October (mark your calendar for Oct. 19-21) - but you don't have to wait until the fall! Please visit us anytime. The vitality of the LSB beckons.

Best wishes,

Scott Buechler, Ph.D.
Interim Dean & Assistant Professor of Business Communication

Elon MBA ranked #1 in the nation

Elon's part-time MBA program was named the nation's best in Bloomberg Businessweek's "Best Business Schools of 2011" list. The program received top scores in student satisfaction, post-MBA outcomes and A+ grades in teaching quality and curriculum. Click here to read more.

Students take top honors
in several competitions

To date this academic year, LSB students have participated in competitions that ranged from a simulation of an open Federal Market committee, to a NASCAR viewing party at a local speedway, to sales call role-plays. Allison Kutz '12 won the speed-selling event and Lindsay Richardson '12 won the sales call role-play event at the Russ Berrie Institute National Sales Challenge. Alex Carberry '12, Oliver Goddu '13, Michael Small '14 and Nick Unkovic '14 (pictured above) placed first in the Dalhousie Business Ethics Case Competition. Elon also placed second in the College Fed Challenge, third in the NASCAR Kinetics: Marketing in Motion case competition, and was named the East Region runner-up at the Eller Ethics Case Competition.

School hosts first professional development conference

During the fall, the LSB hosted its inaugural LSB Connect Conference. The all-day, off-campus conference focused on professional development and included plenary and breakout sessions as well as an etiquette luncheon and networking reception. Held exclusively for sophomores, the conference was designed to encourage students to start their professional development earlier in their academic career. Click here to read more.

Students study abroad in Vietnam, Turkey, India and more
over Winter Term

The LSB sent many students on Winter Term programs abroad, including three new programs: Business and Culture of Vietnam, EuroMed: Melting Pot or Frying Pan? and Business and Culture of the Indo-Gulf.

Students also took part in the pre-existing The Business in the Caribbean program, and first-year business fellows traveled to Krakow, Poland, to explore determinants of economic growth. MBA students in the International Business course traveled to Beijing, Hong Kong and Shenzhen, China, to visit U.S. and foreign-owned firms.

Click here to read more about these programs.