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School of Business Update

Prof. work featured in three top journals
Government hearing draws on KU research
Students visit the Harley-Davidson factory floor
Student Study center re-opened

 

Prof. work featured in three top journals
Three top finance journals accepted research articles from Audra Boone, assistant professor—a significant accomplishment that many researchers struggle to reach throughout their entire career.

"We are very proud of Audra," said Doug Houston, director of finance, economics and decision sciences. "Her research accomplishments bring credit to herself and the school. It's an impressive achievement and a testimony to her strong research abilities."

    The research papers include:
  • "The Evolution and Life-Cycle of Corporate Boards: An Empirical Analysis," with Laura Field, Jonathan Karpoff and Charu Raheja, Journal of Financial Economics.
  • "How Are Firms Sold?" with Harold Mulherin, Journal of Finance.
  • "Do Termination Provisions Truncate the Takeover Bidding Process?" with Harold Mulherin, Review of Financial Studies.

 

Government hearing draws on KU research
U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission Hearing cited Assistant Professor Jane Zhao's research about the Chinese auto industry. The hearing focused on China's impact on the U.S. auto and auto parts industries.

John Moavenzadeh, executive director of MIT International Motor Vehicle Program, referenced Zhao's research extensively in his speech at the hearing. Zhao is also a member of the IMVP.

"Seeing my research have an impact on a government think-tank is very fulfilling," Zhao said. "After all, research is not meant to be enjoyed by academic elites within the ivory tower. It should make a positive difference in the real world."

Zhao's research largely concentrates on the research and development capabilities of Chinese auto manufacturers. Through interviews and survey data, Zhao has shown that the Chinese auto industry's R&D capabilities are far behind non-Chinese competitors. To read more about Zhao's research and Moavenzadeh's speech, visit http://www.uscc.gov/hearings/2006hearings/hr06_07_17.php.

 

Students visit the Harley-Davidson factory floor
About 45 KU School of Business students watched as a robotic arm grabbed motorcycle parts from a bin and precisely mounted them on the body of a soon-to-be Harley-Davidson. They saw first-hand how mechanized the manufacturing process can be, and how advanced it has become.

More important, though, the students received real-life examples of how the business concepts they've been learning in class are applied in the real world, which is exactly what Ted Boone hoped to accomplish. Boone, a lecturer at the school, has planned several plant tours this semester similar to the one at Harley-Davidson, including visits to a Target distribution center, the Lawrence Journal-World printing plant, and Perceptive Software, a local software solutions company.

"The most valuable experience I had during college occurred during my junior year, when my operations class took a trip to visit a local manufacturing company," he said. "Seeing all of the different topics we were discussing in class being used on the factory floor was a real eye-opener for me."

Since then, Boone has been a strong advocate of taking students on educational fieldtrips to show them how the academic models are applied on factory floors, in board rooms, and on the Internet.

 

Student Study Center re-opened
Dean Bill Fuerst and members of the Undergraduate Business Council marked the official re-opening of the Student Study Center in October. The area has undergone extensive renovations, intended to better serve the needs of business students.

The center was re-carpeted, the walls received a fresh coat of paint, new walls with glass panels were constructed for more enclosure, and new furniture was added. The center also gained a conference room and additional private study carrels.

 


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