Professor Chris Fawson Recipient of Student Advocacy & Support Award

Student Advocate VP, Casey Saxton, with Dr. Chris Fawson

On Tuesday night Dr. Chris Fawson was presented with the inaugural Excellence in Student Advocacy & Support Award. Dr. Fawson was the first recipient of the new award, which has the goal of recognizing outstanding faculty and staff who go above and beyond for students.

“It was both an unexpected surprise and an extraordinary honor to be recognized by USUAS as the inaugural recipient of the Student Advocacy & Support Award,” Dr. Fawson said. “Our students deserve the best we have to offer as faculty and staff—and I hope to live up to that expectation by doing all I can to increase the set of opportunities available to the USU students who I have the honor of meeting and knowing.”

Dr. Fawson was nominated by Scott Laneri, this year’s Huntsman School senator.

“Through his efforts, Dr. Fawson has helped countless students make connections with future employers and academic mentors,” Laneri said. “I have so much respect for Dr. Fawson's dedication to improving the student experience both at USU and beyond.”

“I have great respect for Scott, and his leadership team, and share his passion for creating extraordinary opportunities for all of our students—but especially those students who might be struggling to find a purposeful pathway to success,” Fawson said.

The Excellence in Student Advocacy & Support Award was created in fall 2014 by the Utah State University Student Association (USUSA) to recognize outstanding faculty and staff at USU who go above and beyond for students in any area of student life. Student leaders recognized that many exceptional faculty and staff often aren’t recognized for their service and this award will be one avenue to recognize those faculty and staff members for helping students. Any USU student may nominate a staff or faculty member at http://www.usu.edu/ususa/advocacyaward/.

HMA: The Long March: Why it Take 10 Years to Sell a Space Telescope

By Seth Merrill

On Thursday, Jim Marshall, Director of Business Development for the Space Dynamics Laboratory, spoke to a group of 30 students and professors from the Huntsman Marketing Association during a presentation titled, “The Long March: Why it Take 10 Years to Sell a Space Telescope.”

Jim Marshall presenting to the HMA club

Marshall’s work involves qualifying, pursuing and capturing the hundreds of multi-million dollar research projects the SDL undertakes each year. These projects include building telescopes that record deep-space image data, cameras for reconnaissance airplanes, meteor-detecting satellites and more.

Because the laboratory is one of only 14 Department of Defense-designated university affiliated research centers across the nation, 95 percent of the SDL’s revenue comes from the government. Last year the SDL received more than $75 million in external research funding.

“We don’t really have a product line, and there’s not a lot of pricing strategy,” Marshall said. “We sell unique solutions to one-of-a-kind problems and solve specialized projects. We are only as good as our last project. We eat what we kill.”

Marshall emphasized how marketing strategy was more manifest in the process of writing proposals for projects. He said because the SDL works so closely with the government, the purchasing process is often complex, unpredictable and political.

“You can’t be out there trying to do open-field tackles,” he said. ”If you aren’t projecting and analyzing potential projects years before the request for proposal is released, you are already too late. You need to be following personnel changes and constantly building a soft network.”

In such a competitive industry, with numerous research foundations bidding on multi-million dollar projects, Marshall said you have to stay sharp.

“Business development is not an orderly, turn-based game,” he said. “It’s more like a sword fight on a pirate ship. You are never in complete possession of information on what competitors are doing. It’s never fair. Everyone’s making moves at same time and not revealing what they’re doing.”

Julian Brown, a senior studying marketing, attended the lecture and was struck by how complex this particular non-profit field is.

“It’s nothing like I’ve learned in any of my classes,” Brown said. “It’s a higher level of years of strategic planning that may take years to close a deal. That diligent, persistent effort is really a skill set, and sometimes it takes making connections and building relationships to accomplish that goal.”

Opportunity Scholarship: Ashley Huntington

Ashley Huntington, Marketing

In Spring of 2014 I took the opportunity to go on a Go Global trip with the Huntsman School of Business to London. In preparation, I applied and received an Opportunity Scholarship from the Huntsman School. This financial aid made a great difference in my ability to afford the Go Global trip. My scholarship covered half of my program's expenses and gave me the financial security to fully enjoy my global experience without the overwhelming stress of making ends meet. This experience was one that changed my life and opened my eyes to the possibilities of global business.

While I was in London I had the chance to visit businesses that ranged from finance and banking, to

Ashley Huntington in London

marketing and retail. I learned about million-dollar businesses from men and women who ran those companies. I dined with corporate executives, successful entrepreneurs, and fellow USU alumni. I met and made connections with people I never would have dreamed possible without the Go Global program. In one visit, I had the chance to mingle and speak with accountants from Africa and India who had traveled all the way to London to take accounting courses from an accounting education business based in the city. Those types of opportunities do not come around very often and I feel privileged to have had that experience.

In addition to the business visits, I also had the chance to see amazing sights. St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Tower of London, and Buckingham Palace were just a few of the incredible places I visited. However, my favorite part of this entire experience was the friendships that I made with my fellow students in the program. I went into this opportunity looking for a global experience, and walked out with better business understanding, many unforgettable memories, and incredible lasting friendships. Without the Opportunity Scholarship, my time in London would not have happened as easily. I am incredible grateful for the financial support I received from this scholarship. It is an experience I will never forget.

HMA Brand Yourself Event

By Maddy Coast

This event was truly a great way to kick off the month of October. With a crowd of no more than twenty-five people, I didn’t feel over-whelmed or intimidated at the Marketing Association’s affair, which featured guest speaker Phil Jacobson. Phil’s presentation was personable and genuine which made me feel like I was being talked to instead of talked at. Through his use of baseball analogies, stories, and genuine manner, Phil was relatable and interactive. He discussed his personal background, education, and work experience and talked about how it shaped him and his decision to start a franchise of Amada Senior Care in Utah. His overall message was that when it comes to networking, interviewing, and making business connections, the best thing to do is to be yourself. He said that in his experience, being a genuine and personable character is not only what employers look for, but also the best way to make authentic contacts. Likeability is what makes people want to work and interact with you, so showing a “fun” side can be advantageous.

For me, listening to him was refreshing because he was honest and funny, and helped me get a better understanding of how to stand out from the crowd and why it’s so important just to act natural and confident in any business situation. Any business student would have gained a lot from the presentation, especially because it was followed up with a session of questions and answers with professors. The event was a great way just to get involved, learn something, get some questions answered, and get my foot door of the Huntsman School of Business.

Phil Jacobson presents to HMA Club

To Top It All Off

Over the past two weeks, the construction workers started building the roof support structure. It is always exciting to see the next level to go on top of the building – and then the next – and the next. But this is the beginning of the end. Pretty soon, there won’t be any new levels to celebrate. I’m OK with that. I’d rather just get the building finished.

Photo of construction workers welding together the roof support structure

As I’ve mentioned in previous blogs, due to staging, the contractor is building the building as three separate parts. The part of the building that is furthest along, and where the roof structure is being built, is appropriately referred to as Area 1 or Area A (depending on the person). It is the northwest part of the new building. This is the area where the roof support structure is being erected now (see photo).

I am looking forward to the topping it all off!

Ken Snyder

Go Global: Eastern Europe 2014

Melanie Barlow

Eastern Europe 2014

I am a senior enrolled in the Huntsman School of Business, but unlike most students, I have been happily married for 17 years and have four beautiful children. Recently, I took the opportunity to travel to Eastern Europe with Go Global. You may ask why I would want to leave my family behind? My answer is for the amazing experience and opportunities provided to me and, in turn, my family. My passion for success stems from the love of my family. While in the process of earning an economics degree, my appreciation and appetite for knowledge led me to the conclusion that the world is much larger than Utah and the United States. I wanted to immerse myself in the economic views and concerns of people around the world.

Engagement with the world of international business has opened my eyes. I was able to speak with

Huntsman Students at the Istanbul Stock Exchange

professionals and discuss their views of business, receive advice on how the US can improve internationally, and spoke with employees about the likes and dislikes of the companies they work for. I had the chance to have lunch with a top executive, bonding over the joys of our children. He commented that many new employees directly out of college are unethical. I was proud to represent USU and tell him about SAEL (Society for the Advancement of Ethical Leadership) which teaches the importance of an ethical workplace. Being so deeply immersed has solidified my plans to work internationally, strengthened my ability to work with others while staying focused and alert in meeting even though feeling jet-lagged, learning to find food while in an exotic city, and developing the ability to quickly calculate exchange rates.

The best way to learn about the Go Global program is to go for yourself. I highly recommend that everyone take advantage of this wonderful opportunity. Take the time to set goals and monitor results through a detailed journal. You will be amazed at what you learn and how you will personally grow on your own journey.

HMA Medical Sales Blitz

Last week the Huntsman Marketing Association went through a medical sales blitz where students had the opportunity to interview with Ray Fujikawa the Senior Vice President of Commercial Strategy at Orthofix, a Global medical device company. The following are perspectives from the couple of students who were lucky enough to interview with him using the new FJ Management Center.

Bree Arnold
I had the opportunity to attend a lecture and interview with Ray Fujikawa. I feel proud to say I was the second student to ever interview in the new FJ Management Center in the Huntsman Business School. Mr. Fujikawa's lecture was very good. He talked about becoming a Student of the Game (SOTG). The point of SOTG is a way for sales professionals to become the best that they can be. It is important to learn as much information from a client before we try to "fix" problems they have. He gave a few different examples of things good and bad sales people have done. He is a very engaging and dynamic person. I also appreciated the opportunity to interview with him. This put him on a "real" level. It was nice to interact with him one on one. He is a very accomplished individual and he gave me great advice for my future career.

Ray Fujikawa teaches the HMA club

 Lendel Jeppesen

The Huntsman School of Business is moving to new heights and I am glad to be a part of it.
 

Last week I was able to attend the medical sales blitz where I interviewed with Ray Fujikawa. He comes every spring and fall looking for Aggies to interview and potentially hire into a very competitive and lucrative industry. It is very difficult for one to get his or her foot in the door and even harder to land a job; he comes for talent. The FJ Management Center is a great asset, as it allows companies to come right to campus and interview us in an environment we love and are comfortable with. Professionals like Ray come to hire us to be the solution to the challenges they face in their respective industries. They come to the Huntsman School because we have been trained sufficiently to meet the demands of companies today. Interviewing with Ray was an important event in my career here at USU and taught me so much about what the job market seeks in its new hires. I learned about what I have to offer that is valuable and where I lack and need to grow. I suspect that as I look back on my collegiate experience, interviewing with Ray will be one of my coolest moments. I invite anyone interested in accelerating their career to take the opportunity and learn from it - capitalize on it. Take advantage of all the resources that the Huntsman School has to offer. I decided to give it a try and will not pass on another opportunity as long as I am here.