(March 12, 2010, STILLWATER, Okla.) – The American Brass Quintet will perform at 8 p.m. on Friday, March 26 at the Seretean Center for the Performing Arts at Oklahoma State University.

This year, the American Brass Quintet celebrates a milestone as it turns 50. “Very few chamber music groups stay around this long,” said Jonathan Martin, assistant professor of music and director of jazz studies at OSU. “This is a world-renowned group and is considered to be one of the best brass chamber groups in the business.”

The New York-based musicians have played more than 1,000 concerts in their 50 years, as well as itemized the discography of more than 50 recordings.

Part of the quintet’s mission is education. They have served in residence at the Aspen Music Festival and School since 1970 and at The Juilliard School since 1987. They conduct mini-residencies at universities and colleges.

Current quintet members are Raymond Mase and Kevin Cobb on trumpet; David Wakefield, horn; Michael Powell, trombone; and John Rojak, bass trombone.

The event is open to the public and tickets are $5 for students and seniors, while general admission is $7. The event is sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts, OSU Department of Music, and the Arts and Humanities Lecture Series in the College of Arts & Sciences.

To learn more, phone (405) 744-8991 or e-mail jonathan.martin@okstate.edu. Music is one of 24 departments in the College of Arts & Sciences.

Cochon 555 and School of Hotel and Restaurant Administration bring five chefs, five pigs, five wineries to Stillwater April 3

(Stillwater, OK   March 12, 2010) -- The School of Hotel and Restaurant Administration at Oklahoma State University and Cochon 555 will host a group of top chefs from Oklahoma and the surrounding region as each prepare a heritage breed pig from head to toe. Featuring five chefs, five heritage pigs and five winemakers, the event will begin at 4:30 p.m., Saturday, April 3 in the ConocoPhillips OSU Alumni Center in Stillwater.

OSU is the fourth stop on Cochon 555’s 2nd Annual 11 city tour. The event is the only national chef competition promoting heritage pigs and breed diversity.  

The 11 city event serves as a link to preserving heritage breed pigs by promoting breed diversity in the national culinary community. This year’s focus will be consumer education with a special Field Guide to Heritage Pigs given to every attendee and special presentations by resident butcher Ryan Farr of 4505 Meats in San Francisco.

Ticket prices are $100 for the main event that begins at 4:30 p.m. and $150 for the VIP event which begins at 3:00 with a reserve wine tasting and artisan cheese reception. VIP guests will have the opportunity to meet and greet the chefs, winemakers and judges before the event begins. A portion of the proceeds will go to scholarships for students in HRAD. Visit www.cochon555.com for more information and to purchase tickets.

Chefs Chris Shepherd from Catalan in Houston; Matthew Harris, of J&G Grill in Park City; Curt Herrmann, from the White Owl in Tulsa and Kurt Fleischfresser of the Coach House in Oklahoma City, will join an unnamed mystery chef in the competition to crown the “Prince or Princess of Porc”. Guests and professional judges will determine a winner based on utilization, presentation and overall best flavor.

Five family-owned wineries Domaine Serene, Revana Family Vineyard, Raptor Ridge, Miner Family Vineyards, and K Vintners will showcase their wines during the event.

Hospitality students will work with the chefs and vintners in planning, preparing and serving the specialty pork and wines.  

“The school and the college are very pleased with this unique educational opportunity for HRAD students,” Bill Ryan, school director said.  “They will gain valuable experience working with top chefs and vintners.”

“We were pleased to be the fourth stop on this amazing tour,” said Philippe Garmy, HRAD clinical instructor, who is helping organize the Stillwater stop.

“We wanted the heartland and OSU to be able to showcase the heritage breeds in our area. Our guests will be totally amazed at the different tastes these special swine deliver.”

Cochon 555 Founder Brady Lowe is surprised at the response the events have generated in less than 18 months.

“It’s a personal passion of mine to bring awareness of heritage breeds and the family farms committed to raising these extraordinary animals,” Lowe said.  “It’s a healthier and more sustainable approach to livestock compared to large scale commercial agriculture – and as the chefs and foodies who’ve come to Cochon 555 will tell you, they’re more flavorful.”

CloseBend, The Restaurants at Chesapeake, Ben E. Keith, U.S Foodservice, Cusack Meats, Beau’s Wine Bin, The Atherton Hotel at OSU and The Ranchers Club are sponsors for the event.

Special packages for the weekend are available at the Atherton Hotel and Ranchers Club.  For more information, please contact the hotel at 405-744-6835 or visit www.cochon555.com. 

By Lauren Williams, Spears School Communications Intern

(March 11, 2010   Stillwater, OK) – Six Kenyan doctoral students have traveled to Oklahoma State University to receive support for their doctoral studies as part of a partnership between the Spears School of Business and Moi University in Kenya. The partnership began in March 2009 as part of OSU’s Sub-Saharan initiative when Dr. Federico Aime and Dr. Robert Dooley traveled to Eldoret, Kenya, to meet with Moi University officials and subsequently developed a proposal to help Moi University build faculty capacity to meet the growing demand for higher education in business.

A key component of the initiative is assisting Moi University doctoral students with their dissertation research.  Kenyan doctoral students Joel Tenai, Joyce Kimosop, Yusuf Kibet, Ronald Bonuke, Daniel Tarus and Kibet Bitok arrived in Stillwater in January and will stay until May. During their visit, they will attend classes, shadow professors and receive dissertation advice from Aime and Dooley, as well as Spears School faculty members David Carter, Gary Frankwick and Margaret White.  Mwarumba Mwavita, adjunct assistant professor of educational studies in the OSU College of Education, also is assisting the students with research methodology, and several faculty in the business school are allows the students to sit in on doctoral classes.

“The professors have been so good to us,” said Kimosop. “If we need any information or have any questions, they are willing to help us. It has been very good thus far.”        

In addition to doctoral student residence at OSU, the partnership between OSU and Moi University includes proposals for Ph.D. seminars by Spears School faculty at Moi University and participation in collaborative research projects. Dooley and Aime  will travel to Kenya in April to teach a research methodology class, and Spears School faculty members Gary Frankwick and Margaret White will teach a doctoral seminar in Kenya in September.

“The initial reason for developing this partnership was to help Moi University develop faculty and faculty capacity,” said Robert Dooley, Spears School associate dean for graduate programs and research. “We are very excited about the opportunities for the faculty, but we also are excited about the opportunities for us to do collaborative research in a very important region of the world. The Sub-Saharan area has research potential and is receiving more attention in the world, as well.”

By Lauren Williams, Spears School Communications Intern
(March 11, 2010 Stillwater, OK) – Four Oklahoma State University students recently received scholarships to attend the SAS Global Forum 2010. The SAS Global Forum is an annual event planned and sponsored by the SAS Global Users Group, a non-profit organization open to all SAS software users throughout the world. The 2010 forum will take place April 11-14 in Seattle, Wash.

Spears School students Maheshwar Nareddy, Murali Pagolu, Anu Penaganti and Promoda Srinivasamurthy each will receive an expense-paid trip to the forum through the scholarship. All four are students in the OSU graduate certificate in business data mining program and are pursuing master’s degrees in management information systems.

“I feel very proud of our students for winning these scholarships on a competitive basis,” said Goutam Chakraborty, OSU professor of marketing and founder of the OSU graduate certificate in business data mining program. “This will provide a great opportunity for OSU students to meet and network with the more than 3,000 attendees at this conference. “

The OSU graduate certificate in business data mining program is housed in the Spears School of Business and is the largest data mining program in the United States. Data mining is the exploration and analysis of large quantities of data in order to discover meaningful patterns and rules. Students in the program receive a broad-based exposure not just to data analysis, but also to data extraction and data management issues. The unique scope of the program at OSU made Nareddy, Pagolu, Peneganti and Srinivasamurthy ideal candidates for the award.

“The graduate certificate program is a great example of the value of collaboration between departments,” said Rick Wilson, head of the OSU Department of Management Science and Information Systems.  “Most students who complete the program earn their master’s degree in management information systems at the same time. These students receive top-notch instruction from both marketing and MSIS faculty, all of whom are experts in their field.”

All four students said they are very grateful for their SAS education and the program at OSU, and feel it will be a worthwhile experience for them.

While at the forum in Seattle, the students will be able to network with hundreds of professionals in data mining, including the authors of their SAS textbooks.

“I'm glad to receive this scholarship and would like to thank Dr. Chakraborty and OSU for providing a good platform with this unique program,” said Pagolu. “It's a great opportunity to network with professionals and academicians around the world working on SAS software from diverse fields of interests. I'm looking forward to listen to SAS experts and understand the power of this software in solving complex business problems,” said Pagolu.

For more information about the SAS/OSU data mining certification program, call 405-744-7644 or visit http://spears.okstate.edu/future/graduate/degrees/certificate/datamining.

(STILLWATER, Okla. – March 11, 2010) The OSU Alumni Association unveiled the 2010 Homecoming theme on Wednesday. This year, “America’s Greatest Homecoming Celebration” has been titled ‘Cowboy Nation!’

“The 2010 executive team is very excited to debut this year’s theme to the OSU family,” said Jordan Brockhaus, Executive Director. “OSU plays an important part in our lives no matter where we travel after graduation. We felt this theme showed no matter where you live we are always part of a ‘Cowboy Nation!’”

“I was proud to see the discussion lead to the students selecting ‘Cowboy Nation,’” said Melisa Parkerson, Director of Student Programs and Awards. “This year’s theme coincides with the Association’s goal to connect alumni together and to OSU no matter where they are located.”

The selection of a theme begins each year in January when the nine Homecoming executives hold a retreat to brainstorm ideas. Once a theme is selected, it is kept under wraps until the first Homecoming Steering meeting in March, which occurred Tuesday evening.

Homecoming 2010 is Oct. 22-23 in Stillwater and will conclude with the Nebraska vs. OSU football game on Saturday, Oct. 23.

“America’s Greatest Homecoming Celebration” has been presented each year by the OSU Alumni Association since 1920. It is run completely by more than one hundred Homecoming student members with the collaboration of thousands across the five OSU campuses.

Last year, more than 70,000 alumni and friends returned for Homecoming 2009: ‘Branded for Life!’ As part of Branding Success: The Campaign for OSU, the Alumni Association is raising $10 million to endow OSU’s greatest tradition and keep it “America’s Greatest Homecoming Celebration” for future generations.

Visit http://orangeconnection.org/homecoming for more information about Homecoming 2010 and the Homecoming Endowment.

By Joseph Dunn

Major Sabrina Jones, commandant of the OSU Air Force ROTC unit, recently was named the Air Force ROTC Southwest Region Instructor of the Year.

Jones now is one of three officers to compete for the national 2009 Air Force Instructor of the Year.

“It’s a privilege and a great honor to be nominated as national Instructor of the Year,” said Jones who recently was deployed to Afghanistan where she will work with a unit training the Afghan Army.

At Oklahoma State University, Jones served as education officer and later was named commandant of cadets. In 2008, she was named the Southwest Region’s Education Instructor of the Year.

“Major Jones is a very well-rounded officer with amazing initiative and drive,” said Col. Kevin Kriner, commander of the OSU Air Force ROTC unit. “Her dedication to students, as well as her leadership on every front sets her apart.”

Jones, a Colorado native, has served in mission support positions at Lackland Air Force Base, Volkel Air Base and Eielson Air Force Base. She entered the U.S. Air Force as a distinguished graduate of the Air Force ROTC program at Fayetteville State University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in political science. She earned a master’s degree in political science and international relations from Troy State University.

A team of four finance graduate students from the Oklahoma State University Spears School of Business recently placed 20th out of 43 teams in the 2010 Rotman International Trading Competition in Toronto, Canada. The annual competition took place February 18 through 20 and is designed to give students the opportunity to compete in today’s dynamic energy and commodity trading environment.

Team members Karin Kinnerud, Divya Krishnan, Kyle Mendenhall and Michael Gentry are all students within the Master’s of Science in Quantitative Financial Economics (MSQFE) program in the finance department at OSU. The team was co-advised by Ali Nejadmalayeri, assistant professor of finance, and Tim Krehbiel, professor of finance and MSQFE program coordinator.

“The contest consists of five trading competitions - four electronic trading and one outcry competition,” said Nejadmalayeri said. “Overall, we are ranked 20th out of 43 teams - a list that includes an elite group of schools like Chicago, MIT, Penn State, the University of Toronto, Ohio State, Texas A&M, Northwestern, the University of Western Ontario, Drexel and West Point Academy.”

For the first time, the competition had a fully automated ‘algorithmic trading’ in which a student-developed computer program trades automatically. This is cutting-edge and is all the rage in Wall Street, Nejadmalayeri said. In addition, the existing trading competitions also were changed to reflect the challenging trading environment of the real world today.

“Once again, I had a great time attending the Rotman Trading Competition,” Mendenhall said. “This event has really helped me to figure out the direction I want to take my career in finance as it has given me as close to a real world experience as possible outside of being an actual trader.”

The OSU team is proud to continue a winning tradition at the RITC after the 2008 win in the Sales and Trading division.

The Rotman Trading Competition was an eye-opener,” Krishnan said. “It gave me a chance to put to practice the knowledge and skills developed in the MSQFE program and also prepared me to face the ‘real trading arena!’

For more information about RITC or the OSU team, contact Ali Nejadmalayeri at 918-594-8399 or visit http://www.rotman.utoronto.ca/financial/lab/competitions-itc09-home.

Oklahoma State University is a modern land-grant system that cuts across disciplines to better prepare students for a new world.  Oklahoma’s only university with a statewide presence, OSU improves the lives of people in Oklahoma, the nation, and the world. The Spears School of Business is dedicated to the original land-grant vision of integrated, high-quality teaching, research and outreach. For more information, call 405-744-5064 or visit spears.okstate.edu.

Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ostatenews/4422718046/

CUTLINE: A team of four finance graduate students from the Oklahoma State University Spears School of Business recently placed 20th out of 43 teams in the 2010 Rotman International Trading Competition. Team members Karin Kinnerud (left), Kyle Mendenhall, Divya Krishnan and Michael Gentry were advised by Ali Nejadmalayeri, assistant professor of finance, and Tim Krehbiel, professor of finance and MSQFE program coordinator.

(March 9, 2010   Stillwater, OK) – Oklahoma State University’s Department of Marketing and the Center for Executive and Professional Development in the Spears School of Business are bringing Disney Institute’s traveling professional development program, “Disney’s Approach to Business Excellence,” to Oklahoma City on March 11 to the OKC Marriott Hotel. This is a rare and affordable opportunity to learn best business practices from Disney insiders, and discover ways to adapt and apply those best practices to pick up the pace in these slow economic times.

“Professional development programs that we offer at the Walt Disney World® Resort and Disneyland Resort have proven extremely popular,” said George Aguel, senior vice president for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts.  “Community leaders around the country started asking us to bring similar programs to their cities, and the Disney Approach program does just that. Participants will discover Disney success stories and learn about management philosophies and behind-the-scenes operations that have made the Disney Parks and Resorts a benchmark for businesses around the world.”

With the establishment of Disney Institute in 1986, thousands of business leaders from more than 35 countries and 40 industries have attended business programs at Disney Institute in Florida.  Disney’s Approach to Business Excellence is the only Disney Institute professional development program that goes “on the road” to select communities around the United States.  

According to Aguel, Disney Institute programs are unique in the world of business.  “What makes the Disney learning experience so different and meaningful is that we don’t simply teach theory,” Aguel said. “We showcase philosophies and strategies that have made Disney Parks and Resorts a success – ideas that are easily adaptable to other organizations.”

Registration and fees for the program are $395 per person and include course materials and a full day of catered meals and beverages. Group discounts are also available and use the OSU discount code of OSUAFH for a $50 discount. No prerequisite training is required.

For more information and to register for the “Disney’s Approach to Business Excellence” program, call 877-544-2384 or visit www.KeysOklahomaCity.com. Participants can receive a $50 discount by using the discount code “OSUAFH.”   

The Journal Record will honor the Oklahoma State University Multispectral Laboratories with this year’s Creativity Award at the newspaper’s Innovator of the Year event on April 13 at the Skirvin Hilton in Oklahoma City.

“We appreciate the acknowledgement that OSU-UML is uniquely positioned as a national resource to handle some of the most important research of our time while advancing Oklahoma’s economy,” said Stephen McKeever, OSU’s Vice President for research and technology transfer and executive director of the laboratories.

The OSU-UML, which is located in Ponca City, is focused on sensor technology, including the test, evaluation and implementation of defense, homeland security, energy, and intelligence systems, according to McKeever, who has predicted the center will “change the landscape of sensor technology.”

The laboratories are wholly owned by OSU and operated by Triton Scientific LLC with essential support from the Ponca City Development Authority and ConcoPhillips. An Oklahoma business, OSU-UML brings researchers together with government and industry to rapidly and efficiently advance new technologies and capabilities to the end user. 

OSU-UML also won the 2007 International Economic Development Council’s award for the most innovative partnership in economic development in the nation.