WINTER 2001

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Faculty

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CONTENTS

Dean's Welcome

Astros Owner Opens the Fall Season of Dean's Lectures

MBA Students Lead MBA Jungle Portfolio Management Contest

Jones Partners Golf Tournament

El Paso Energy Donates $2.5 Million to the Jones School

Enron and Lay Family Give $8 Million

Enthusiastic Students Organize Student Clubs

Jones School Welcomes Murray Weidenbaum as Visiting Scholar

Maya Houston (MBA '99) Is New Director of Development

GWIB Means Business: Rice Graduate Women in Business Off to a Strong Start

Action Learning Program

ExxonMobil Donation to Benefit Academic Programs

Keep Your Eye on the Rice Alliance

First Annual MBA Marketing Case Competition Puts Jones School on the Map

David Ikenberry: A Testament to Teaching Excellence

Jim Turley, Chairman-Elect of Ernst&Young -- His Community Has Become the Entire Globe

Diary of an MBA: A First-Year Student Writes Journal for Business Week

Jones School Receives Brillante Award

Faculty News

Alumni Association President's Letter

Class Notes

Annual Alumni Career Forum

Please send comments to:
Deanna Sheaffer, Editor
Director of Alumni Affairs
Jones School of Management - MS 531 Rice University
P.O. Box 1892
Houston TX 77251-1892
e-mail:JGSalum@rice.edu

Action Learning Projects Provide Companies with Topnotch Consulting
– By Carrie Miller, MBA Program Director

Six students were presented with a plaque from Williams Gas Pipeline this fall in recognition of their outstanding Action Learning Project, named “Best Project” for 2000. The team performed an in-depth analysis of “energy convergence” and its implications for Williams. From left to right: Cavan Carlton (MBA ‘98), Williams; Craig Harwerth, (’01); Greg Broussard, (’01); Robert Gaudette. (‘01); Williams CEO Keith Bailey; Mark Morehouse, (’01); Ron Keas, (’01), and Winnie So, (’01).

When the Jones School moved to a module system in 1998, the Action Learning Project (ALP) was introduced. A 10-week team consultation that enables a company to develop or improve a business process quickly and efficiently, it provides a capstone exercise during the first year for a diverse team of MBA students to integrate the concepts they have acquired in core courses. Unlike internships, Action Learning Projects are integrated into the Jones School curriculum for academic credit and are conducted with faculty guidance. Because teams perform them, their scope can be much broader than that of a typical internship project. Examples of ALP Focuses.

The Action Learning Project Committee looks for a wide variety of companies and project types to give students a large selection that touches upon various disciplines including – but not limited to – finance, marketing, operations, strategy, accounting, data analysis, entrepreneurship, communications, and global business.

In January, before the program begins, students bid on projects submitted by potential host companies. A “company networking day” is held to allow corporate representatives an additional opportunity to meet students and pitch their projects.

After bidding, a committee of administration and faculty place students on teams based on their preferences and background. A student then joins a four- to six- member team overseen by a corporate liaison and faculty mentors who provide perspective and assure rigorous analyses. When their research is complete, each team submits a detailed, written report with specific recommendations for process design or improvements. They also make an oral presentation and present their findings on-site or via video teleconference to host company managers and associates.

We welcome applications from your company. For more information on the Action Learning Project program, please contact Carrie Miller at cmiller@rice.edu or Pamela Castro at castro@rice.edu.