Northern Illinois University

College of Business - NIU

Management News

September 2009

How mega events like the Olympics impact businesses, as discussed by an Assistant Professor of Management.

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August 2009

Social entrepreneur and Management instructor Dennis Barsema discusses why businesses increasingly focus on the triple bottom line.

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Social entrepreneur and Management instructor Dennis Barsema discusses why businesses increasingly focus on the triple bottom line

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May 2009

FastPitch contest for entrepreneurs.

The 3rd Annual Stateline FastPitch Competition will be held on June 23rd at the NIU Rockford Campus. This contest provides an opportunity for entrepreneurs to pitch their ideas in three minutes or less to an audience of judges comprised of members of the business and investment community. The event will take place at the NIU Rockford Campus on June 23, 2009 from 3:30-6:00 P.M. The top prize is a $5,000 cash award. Please see the following links for more information on the event and application process.


April 2009

2009 NIU Outstanding Women Student Award

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March 2009

NIU business students are among top 16 finalists in the Idea to Product regional competition

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February 2009

Management course includes e-mentoring program for students and professionals

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January 2009

Management major Davorka Zeba's internship with Kohl's earns her selection as the Internship/Co-op Student of the Month

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December 5, 2008

Management Class Project Becomes E-Retail Business

A class project in NIU's Entrepreneurship class taught by Lynn Neeley has evolved into an e-retailing business. After participating in the class, Eric Wasowicz, an NIU alumnus, worked on implementing the project and launched the deal-of-the-day business at uwantsavings.com in November. See http://www.internetretailer.com/dailyNews.asp?id=28649 for the full story.


October 31, 2008

Management Professor Discusses CEO Succession in Chicago-Based Magazine

Dr. Christine Mooney Interviewed by SmartBusiness Magazine More >>


September 12, 2008

Meet the New Faculty and Staff for 2008

Welcome to Jasmin Lin and Bart Sharp of the Management Department! More >>


June 5, 2008

Fast Pitch Contest for Students and Entrepreneurs

The Fast Pitch Contest will be held on June 24th in Rockford. In three minutes entrepreneurs pitch their business or business concepts to a group of judges from the business and investment community. There are two tracks: one is specifically geared towards students and the second is for the general public. Not only will the top student business receive a cash prize of $500 but if the student prize goes to a student with a manufacturing product, Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, International (FMA) will offer a $500 scholarship to the school of their choice.

Participants in the general competition will also vie for cash prizes including $5,000 to the winner, $2,500 for second prize and $1,000 to the third prize recipient.

After NIU MBA student Jessica Wetzel with her business -The Fashion Grapevine competed in the finals at last year's event, we are hoping NIU makes another strong showing at this year's event!

For more information, contact Sarah Marsh at 815.753.6211 or smarsh@niu.edu.

To view a flyer about the event, pick a choice below.


May 8, 2008
The NIU Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) student chapter has been honored with a Superior Merit Award for 2007-2008. This award is the most selective award from the SHRM national organization; it recognizes the highest achieving student chapters in the country for their exceptional ability in operations, the professional development of chapter members, and promotion of the profession. Congratulations to all NIU SHRM student members. The NIU SHRM student chapter is lead by student officers: Bill Roman, Andrew Landon, Jeff Prigge, Joe Majewski, Aimee Carey, Tony Leifert, and Ricardo Acevedo. NIU Management professors who advise the NIU SHRM members are: Curt Behrens, Associate Professor of Management; Terry Bishop, Associate Professor of Management, and; Chris Thomas, Assistant Professor of Management.


May 8, 2008
NIU members of the Society for the Advancement of Management (SAM) - a professional organization for students - traveled to Arlington, Virginia, where they competed in the April 2008 SAM International Conference Case Competition. The theme for this year's case competition was Innovation. Approximately 350 conference participants were challenged to recommend strategies for revitalizing a struggling company in the restaurant industry. The company had over-Left to Right: Nick Del Monaco, Paul Berkes, Jennifer Reckwerdt, Alyssa Gaenzle, and Ryan Becker saturated the market and had failed to adjust to marketplace trends, which resulted in lost market share and falling revenues. SAM conference participants were allowed one month prior to the conference to work on the project. Then, during the conference more than 30 student teams presented their recommendations for review by a panel of both faculty and industry leaders.

For several years, NIU students have competed in the case competitions that are held during SAM International Conferences. The NIU students who participated in the 2008 SAM conference are business majors: Nick Del Monaco, Jennifer Reckwerdt, Paul Berkes, Alyssa Gaenzle, and Ryan Becker. Visit www.sa.niu.edu/sfam/ to access the NIU SAM student chapter website.


April 17, 2008
Congratulations to our NIU Human Resource Management students for their participation in the 2008 HR Games and Student Conference for the North Central Region of SHRM. Eight NIU students attended the games, which were recently held at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Team Red included Aimee Carey (captain), Nick Del Monaco, Joe Majewski, Bill Roman. Team Black included Andy Landon (captain), Michelle Jurinak, Natisha Franklin, Riccardo Acevedo. The NIU Black team finished in sixth place of the 20 teams participating.

The HR Games are an opportunity for HR students to demonstrate their knowledge of HR subjects in a competitive framework. There were eight preliminary rounds, culminating in semi-final and final rounds. The HR Games also fosters interaction among students and professionals and encourages preparation for HR certification. Teams came from 7 states (Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin).

Management Department faculty members and NIU SHRM advisors Terry Bishop and Chris Thomas attended the HR Games with the students.


Management Department Announces Distinguished Alumni Award Winners. More >>


Management Department Honors Graduating Seniors, Alumni, and Faculty at the Senior Dinner and Awards Banquet. More >>


March 28, 2008
Congratulations to Anesha Barefield for being named a recipient of the 2008 NIU Outstanding Women Student Award! The award recognizes her leadership, scholarship, and community service.

For more information about this award, visit the Outstanding Women Student Awards Web Page of the NIU Presidental Commission on the Status of Women.


January 21, 2008
Luis Flores, Associate Professor in the Management Department, was interviewed for the Rockford Register Star story "Building a Better Business" (January 21, 2008). The article describes the importance of building an integrated team of employees and managers, while stressing the impact such an integrated team makes on the overall success of a business. Within the article, Flores, whose expertise includes strategic planning in a global setting, describes the necessity of all company members working together, particularly in a fast-paced and rapidly changing global business arena.


Sound Experience.


The Department of Management at Northern Illinois University has awarded Audrey Southard its 2007 Distinguished Alumni Award. More >>.


Kicking off Chicago's first annual Entrepreneurship Week USA, the FAST PITCH competition gives entrepreneurs a chance to pitch their business to a panel of esteemed judges for scoring and feedback - click for More (pdf) >>.


Congratulations to our Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) student chapter for its successful application to host the 2007 HR Regional Games - click for more.