TOP NEWS:

Thunderbird network saves the day

Susan Evangeline Bagh ’08 did not know how long it would take before she would be allowed back into the United States. She was alone in Nogales, Mexico, with barely any cash and no knowledge of Spanish. That is until she realized the power of Thunderbird's global network. Fellow students and an alumnus stepped in and changed her fate. »More

Steve Forbes to speak at commencement

Steve Forbes, editor-in-chief of Forbes business magazine, will be the commencement speaker May 2. The commencement will be 3 to 5 p.m. at the Renaissance Glendale Hotel & Spa. Forbes will also receive an honorary degree from Thunderbird. As always faculty, staff, and students are welcomed and encouraged to attend the graduation ceremony.

Inaugural Global Mindset Celebration

Faculty, staff, and graduating students are invited to attend the inaugural Global Mindset Celebration from 9 to 11 a.m. on May 2 in the Thunderbird Activity Center. Attendees will receive the latest news on global mindset, and graduates will have a chance to review their Global Mindset Inventory results. Continental breakfast will be provided. Please RSVP to Jeannie Barbes, Ext. 7311.

Founder's Day celebrated on campus

Faculty, staff, students and other community members gathered at
Thunderbird's annual Founder's Day celebration on April 16 from 4 - 5:30 p.m. The Pavilion was transformed to reflect the layout of the new Thunderbird tower. Festivities included a short presentation on the tower project and Campaign Thunderbird. The Thunderbird Insider was on hand asking people, what is it about Thunderbird’s history and legacy that you’re most proud of? See what they had to say.

New handbook for Thunderbird employees

A completely revised, slimmed down, and more user-friendly employee handbook will be distributed to all faculty and staff next week. Almost every policy has been updated, and the new handbook nicely incorporates Thunderbird's mission, vision, and values, according to Thunderbird’s General Counsel Kathy Krecke. Every employee will receive an e-mailed version and a hard-copy, and everyone will be required to sign new acknowledgement documents related to some of the specific policies.

More details will be explained in the e-mail communication, so please watch for that important information.

Institutional News

Dr. Cabrera named 2008 Fellow by Aspen Institute

Dr. Angel Cabrera has been named a 2008 Henry Crown Fellow by the Aspen Institute.

The fellowship is designed to engage the next generation of leaders in the challenge of community-spirited leadership. It brings together entrepreneurial young executives and professionals under age 45, who have already achieved conspicuous success in their chosen fields. Henry Crown Fellows will meet four times over a two-year period and will undertake
individual community service commitments.»More

Long-time Dean of Admissions, Judy Johnson, to retire

Few people can change a life with a simple signature. Judy Johnson can, and has, for hundreds of T-birds by placing her signature on their acceptance letter to the school. During her tenure as the dean of admissions for the past 18 years, every student accepted to Thunderbird received a kind, genuine, congratulatory message in the form of a note, e-mail, or phone call. It is this warmth that struck many T-birds in their first encounter with the school. Johnson will retire June 30.

Academic Programs

MA/MS programs reduced to one entry point per year

Starting in fall 2008, the Master of Arts in Global Affairs and Management and the Master of Science of Global Management programs will only admit students once a year in the fall. Students in the current academic year were allowed to start the programs in the fall or spring.

The primary reason for the change is that fall entry is sufficient for most students, who generally enroll directly after graduation from their undergraduate programs.
The fall entry point will allow students to do internships in the summer, when no classes will be scheduled. Students can complete the required three trimesters in 15 months.

Provost Dr. Robert Widing said 47 students entered the programs in their inaugural year, and applications for fall 2008 are ahead of that pace.

Career conferences and TREKs bring results

During the 2007/2008 academic year, Thunderbird students traveled around the nation on career events from San Francisco to New York. They attended national career conferences for groups such as the National Association of Women MBAs (NAWMBA) and Net Impact, a social responsibility conference. The students participated in network-building industry TREKs, resulting in several job interviews and offers. »More

Research & Knowledge

Private equity conference draws industry leaders

Thunderbird became the epicenter of discussions this month with some of the private equity industry’s most notable leaders, on the heels of a turbulent year in which the community faced extensive public exposure. In the school’s fourth annual Private Equity Investing Conference, held April 3-4 on campus, dozens of national and international investment leaders discussed the next step for an industry entrenched in shifting American and European markets while looking for a foothold in the world’s latest emerging economies. »More

Study shows private equity necessary in U.S. economy

Private Equity is developing to become a major force of creative destruction and innovation which is necessary to improve the competitiveness of the U.S. economy, according to Dr. John Mathis, director of the Thunderbird Global Financial Services Center and professor of Global Finance. Mathis is the author of an economic impact study released during the fourth annual Thunderbird Global Private Equity Investing Conference held in early April. In that report, Mathis exposes numerous realities of the private equity community that speak to the current and future state of investment. »More

Volume 1 Issue 7
April 25, 2008

"Learn why the world wags and what wags it. That is the only thing which the mind can never exhaust, and never dream of regretting."

To share your global business words of wisdom, e-mail: insider@thunderbird.edu

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