Leanne Atwater on Bauer Business Focus, May 4, 2012

Posted April 27th, 2012 - No Comments

On Bauer Business Focus — A conversation on Bauer students helping future METRO leaders with Andrew Schneider, business reporter for KUHF 88.7 FM.

What happens when a group of MBA students partner with the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County to create a leadership development program? An win-win experience for both the  students and METRO, according to Leanne Atwater, chair of the Management department at the University of Houston C. T. Bauer College of Business.

Atwater, who helped create the teaching modules and facilitated classroom sessions, stopped by Bauer Business Focus recently to discuss how Bauer MBAs are helping shape the future leaders of METRO.

“This partnership was serendipitous, but it turned out to be a win-win,” Atwater said. “The first group of students thought this was an incredible experience and the skills that they were leading this project with were things that will be helpful for them in the job market.”

With faculty guidance, the students created a leadership program to build teamwork, decision making and problem solving skills. This type of program would be beneficial for any business, Atwater says.

“We do these projects every semester and any company that would like to have an MBA student group participate in helping them solve their problem, we’re happy to do that. For public sector organizations and non-profits that don’t have the money to afford large corporate consultants, this is a great opportunity for them to have hand-picked MBA students designing an interactive program, and they have a deliverable at the end that is useful to them.”

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Chris Ross on Bauer Business Focus, April 27, 2012

Posted April 24th, 2012 - No Comments

On Bauer Business Focus — A conversation on the upcoming Offshore Technology Conference with Andrew Schneider, business reporter for KUHF 88.7 FM.

The city of Houston is known as the energy capital of the world for good reason, making it a logical host for the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC), slated this year for April 30-May 3.

Held annually at Reliant Center, OTC is the world’s foremost event for the development of offshore resources in the fields of drilling, exploration, production and environmental protection. Each year, more than 70,000 attendees and 2,000 exhibiting companies are represented.

Chris Ross, an executive professor of finance at the University of Houston C. T. Bauer College of Business, serves on the OTC program committee. He stopped by Bauer Business Focus recently to discuss what to expect at this year’s conference and how Bauer College is playing a role in the event.

“The program is a good mix of technical sessions where companies display their most recent technologies for offshore exploration and development,” Ross said. “There will also be a number of managerial sessions on such issues as risk management, safety, environmental protection, as well as the extraordinary technologies that allow us to find oil deep beneath the ocean.”

Bauer College will have a presence at this year’s OTC as an exhibitor and sponsor, and with student attendees (student attendance at OTC is free with a valid university I.D.). In addition, Dean Latha Ramchand will be a facilitator at the OTC Next Wave program on April 30, which offers roundtable discussions for young professionals in the industry.

The connection between education and the energy industry is a natural one, Ross said, with Bauer College offering more than 20 courses that teach the business of energy at the BBA, MBA and EMBA levels. In addition to its energy programs in Houston, the college has offerings in Beijing, Dubai and Chennai, and works with energy firms to customize programs for their leadership.

“One thing that I’ve learned about the oil industry over the past 45 years, is that it’s always interesting and there are always new challenges. There’s a tremendous opportunity for Bauer College to play an important role in helping form the leadership of the future.”

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McKenna Jordan on Bauer Business Focus, April 20, 2012

Posted April 17th, 2012 - No Comments

On Bauer Business Focus — A conversation on personalizing the book buying experience with Andrew Schneider, business reporter for KUHF 88.7 FM.

In an era where readers can find books at the touch of a screen, some brick-and-mortar retailers have found it difficult to survive.  But the bookstore culture is alive and well in Houston, according to Murder by the Book owner McKenna Jordan.

Jordan visited Bauer Business Focus to discuss the strategy of one of the nation’s oldest and largest specialty bookstores, which caters to mystery genre lovers in the area.

“What sets us apart is the customer service we provide,” Jordan said. “We always have employees at the store who are passionate about books and are almost walking encyclopedias in the genre that will help you find books that you’re going to not only like, but love.”

Having a physical storefront also allows Jordan to host authors for book signings and readings.

“Providing the customer and the reader with the experience of meeting an author and coming to a bookstore to have an intelligent conversation about a book you love is the biggest service we provide and adds to the personal touch that is nonexistent in e-commerce.”

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Janet Meade on Bauer Business Focus, April 13, 2012

Posted April 10th, 2012 - No Comments

On Bauer Business Focus — A conversation on tax time with Andrew Schneider, business reporter for KUHF 88.7 FM.

The countdown to Tax Day has begun. As the April 17 deadline to file federal income tax returns approaches, taxpayers and accountants may find themselves crunching more numbers than usual.

Janet Meade, associate professor of Accountancy and Taxation at the C. T. Bauer College of Business, stopped by Bauer Business Focus recently to discuss tips for filing taxes.

“If you’re filing your taxes last minute, I would say to e-file to get your refund faster,” Meade said. “If you’re not expecting a refund and you want to delay having that check cashed, then I would file by paper.”

Whether filing online or by paper, be cautious with the personal information found on returns, Meade warns.

“Identity theft is a big problem right now. All someone needs is your social security number and they can file a tax return and your refund. It’s an unfortunate thing to experience, so the best thing is to guard all of your tax information that you are receiving in the mail.”

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