Annual Diwali Celebration - 2015

Last week students, faculty and staff celebrated Diwali, one of the largest festivals in India. To celebrate "The Festival of Lights", the International Student Organization decorated the 2nd floor lounge and threw a party complete with food, drinks, dancing and entertainment. Members of the Full-Time Class of 2016 and 2017 participated in a talent show where students sang, dance and walked in a fashion show. After the entertainment, there was an Indian Buffet and students sang karaoke and danced some more! It was also so fun to see everyone dressed up in traditional Indian clothes! Thanks to the ISO board for throwing such a fun event!

Site Visit to Nielsen

MRIA Club students at Nielsen's NYC Office

Last Thursday, members of the Rutgers Marketing Research Insights & Analytics Club traveled to the  Nielsen corporate headquarters in NYC for a site visit. Nielsen is a global information and measurement company that specializes in helping their clients understand consumer behavior.  Nielsen has two principal reporting segments, Watch & Buy, and students were able to learn about the way Nielsen conducts Audience Measurement in the Watch segment. Brian Apter, VP Digital Client Solutions, spoke with students in the "Nielsen Den" to demonstrate, on a number of multimedia platforms, how Nielsen technology measures what consumers watch. Students were able to see first hand how Nielsen's People meter can keep track of exactly what multiple members of a household are watching on a daily basis. After showcasing how the technology works, students were able to speak with Mr.Apter about a number of topics such as how Nielsen is adapting to increased platforms for viewing content, the business behind TV advertisements and differences between Network and Cable television. The afternoon ended with lunch and networking with members of HOLA (Hispanic Organization of Leaders in Action), an employee resource group.

Demonstration of Nielsen's People Meter

Hanging out in the Nielsen Den

The visit was both fun and informative...thank you Nielsen for hosting such a great event!

Student Feature: Kamali Thompson, RBS '16

Kamali at the RWJ Medical School White Coat Ceremony

RBS students are making an impact both inside and outside the business community. Kamali Thompson is a dual MBA/MD student, but if that isn't impressive enough....she is currently the #5 Women's Saber Fencer in the U.S and is a 2016 Olympic hopeful!!! Continue reading to learn more about Kamali's experiences as a student at RBS and as a professional athlete. 

Thanks so much Kamali for taking time out of your busy schedule to do this interview! First off, how did you end up at the Rutgers MBA program? What made you decide to pursue both an MBA and MD? 

During my interview at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, the student interviewers gave us a complete overview of the school. This included information such as student demographics, clubs/organizations and dual degrees. When they told us an MBA was only a 1-year program I decided to look into it if I was accepted into RWJ. My first year of medical school, I realized I was going to have to take off 2 years to train for the Olympics instead of doing 3rd and 4th year of medical school due to the rigorous schedule. When I remembered how appealing the MBA program was, I looked into the classes offered. I thought it would be a great idea to take business and healthcare policy classes because eventually I want to open my own medical practice. 

What do you envision doing with the dual degree? What kind of jobs will you be looking for after you finish school? 

After I receive my medical degree, I plan on becoming a primary care sports medicine physician, meaning I will need to do a primary care residency and a sports medicine fellowship. My end career goal is to have a multidisciplinary sports medicine office, where professional athletes will be able to see all of the doctors involved with their medical care (e.g. primary care physicians, orthopedic surgeons, and physical therapists). In order to be experienced enough to open that practice I want to work for a professional sports team first, preferably football or basketball. 

What's been your favorite class at RBS? 

My favorite class was Buying and Managing Mid-Market Businesses with Pankaj Amin. He was such an amazing teacher! It was once of the most practical classes I've taken. As soon as the class was over I felt like I was ready to go out and buy a business. The best part was he didn't just teach us how to buy a company, but how to evaluate investments in general. 

Now onto the fun stuff...How did you end up becoming an Olympic Contender for the U.S. Women's Saber Fencing Team? 

I didn't start fencing until high school which is really late for fencing and sports in general. My senior year of college I finished 6th at NCAA Championships and was really proud of how much I accomplished in such a small timeframe. I wasn't ready to give up fencing just because I was going to medical school and I still had room for improvement so I decided to try to qualify for the Olympics! My first year in medical school, I started traveling to international competitions and shot up to a top-10 ranking in the country. Last year was my best year because I finished 2nd at three national competitions, indicating I was moving in the right direction. It was also the first year I was able to attend all 8 of the international competitions, which allowed me to seriously attempt qualifying for the national team.

Kamali Representing Team USA at the 2013 World University Games in Kazan, Russia

You said you spend a lot of time traveling internationally to participate in competitions. What's been your favorite place to compete so far? 

I've been to 15 countries and Italy is by far my favorite place in the world! I've seen 3 cities, not the famous cities, very unexpected locations because that's where the competitions were held. I love Italy so much that earlier this year I went to Livorno just train with the Italian team for a week! The people I've encountered in these cities really enjoy life and spend time with their family and friends everyday dissimilar to the fast paced environment we experience in the NYC metro area. Also, the food in Italy is much healthier and satisfying than food in America. I can't believe I'm able to eat at all when I come back home.

Pursing a dual degree alone is a lot of work. How do you manage that AND your rigorous training schedule? 

The key for me has always been time management. I know I don't have much time so I have to use every possible moment to study, complete homework assignments or watch videos for fencing. Sometimes that means reading articles and writing papers on the bus to practice or on flights to competitions. I’ve also become excellent at scheduling and usually schedule every hour of the day to ensure I complete all of my assignments. If I don't schedule everything, a task usually gets forgotten about.

If/when you ever get some time to relax, what do you like to do for fun? 

I practice in the Chelsea area of NYC, but I don't see much of the city. In my spare time I like to explore new areas of the city and do activities like visit museums or parks. Sometimes I won't see my friends for weeks at a time if I'm away for a competition so usually I'm just happy catching up with them.

Thanks so much Kamali for sharing your experience with us. On behalf of the RBS Community, we wish you the best of luck on your Olympic journey!!! 

Feeling inspired? Check out Kamali's Fundraising Page to support her journey. Let's get RBS represented in Rio 2016!!! 

RBS Visits Russia - Spring Break 2015

During our Spring Break this past March, a group of Rutgers MBA students visited Russia as part of their Doing Business in Russia course. William Pollak, Full-time Class of 2015, is here to share his experience...

Students in front of Saint Basil's Cathedral in Red Square in Moscow, Russia

27 Rutgers MBA students answered the call of Doing Business in Russia, an elective class that includes academic study of the Russian socioeconomic climate, as well as a 10-day trip to Moscow and St. Petersburg.  I was one of the 5 full-time RBS students who attended, along with 22 flex students and 3 faculty members.   Professors Jeff Robinson and Alex Settles, who teach Entrepreneurship, Corporate Social Responsibility, and International Business at Rutgers, designed the trip’s itinerary, which included city tours, cultural attractions, and visits to businesses and startup incubators in Russia’s two most prominent cities.  We flew in to Moscow on March 12^th, and returned from St. Petersburg on March 22^nd, 2015. 

We spent our first days becoming acquainted with the historical and cultural sights in Moscow.  We toured the Kremlin, Red Square, St. Basil’s Cathedral and other landmarks, ate in restaurants suitable for royalty such as Turandot and Café Pushkin, and saw a ballet at the Bolshoi Theatre.  Moscow is a magnificent city that also has a night life to rival or surpass that of any major city in the world.  A night with more than 3 hours sleep was a rare occurrence on this trip.

Of immediate note was the importance of reading and speaking Russian.  English is not widely spoken in this city, and nearly all of the signs are written in Cyrillic.  Basic commerce is possible through hand gestures and a smile, though Muscovite retailers are less motivated than their American counterparts to engage with customers, particularly foreigners. 

After a few days of sightseeing, we visited the Higher School of Economics and listened to speakers from the Russian business world articulate their experiences doing business in Russia.  We also toured Startup October, an incubator connecting financiers with startup entrepreneurs, and learned about Moscow’s growing entrepreneurial culture.   Finally, we visited an industrial park which housed Oriflame, a Swedish cosmetics firm, as well as other tenants.  The industrial park generated its own power as opposed to connecting to the local power grid, which can be a prohibitively difficult task in Russia.  I was sad that Oriflame did not offer Swedish meatballs in their cafeteria.

An overnight train brought us to St. Petersburg on the 19^th.  St. Petersburg is the same latitude as Alaska, and has few sunny days throughout the year, though we were lucky enough to enjoy unseasonably warm weather.    We heard from consulate and state department officials who provided insider knowledge into how to protect our data and identity, as well as the secret, non-touristy spots to visit in St.  Petersburg.  We also spoke at length with business leaders such as the CEO of Subway in Russia, and a software developer for Oracle.  At night, we saw the Jenufa opera at the fabulous Mariinsky theatre.  I’m glad I packed my tuxedo.

Our last day in Russia did not disappoint.  We took a tour of the Hermitage, a palace converted into one of the largest museums of art in the world.  We saw original artwork by all of the masters, and took hundreds of pictures of paintings and sculptures.  No amount of time seems sufficient to soak in all of the art at the Hermitage.  For lunch, we followed the state department employee’s advice and found a secret Indian restaurant in the heart of St. Petersburg modeled after a prohibition-era speakeasy.  The entrance was located behind a secret passage in a bookstore, and inside they served cocktails made up of their own special blends of alcohol.  This was the best meal I ate in Russia, even though Beef Stroganoff was not involved. 

It is truly hard to capture in words how rewarding this trip was.  We explored two of the greatest cities in one of the largest and most misunderstood nations in the world.   We also experienced Russian academic and business culture, and learned about the similarities and differences which make Russia an intriguing but challenging place to do business.  I hope to go back again soon.

Visiting the Oriflame Distribution Center in Moscow

Enjoying the sights in St. Petersburg

Attending the Hamlet Ballet at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow

William at the World War II Museum in Moscow

William Pollak is finishing up his 2nd year in the full-time RBS MBA program. He is a fellow of the Rutgers Center for Supply Chain Management and former treasurer of the Student Government Association. After graduation, he will begin his career in Inventory Control Strategy with Dell in Austin, Texas. 

2nd Annual RBS Night Out with the NJ Devils

The Prudential Center, where the New Jersey Devils play, is just a 15 minute walk or 5 minute light rail ride from 1 Washington Park. Last night, the MBA Student Government Association (SGA) secured tickets to see the NJ Devils play against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Over 30 Rutgers MBA students took over Section 1 of the arena. Despite allowing two relatively early goals, the Devils played a strong last period and came close to tying the game. The game finished in a 2 – 3 loss, but everyone still enjoyed the night. Thank you Riley Miller for organizing such a fun event!

ISO Hosts Annual Oktoberfest at 1 Washington Park

Oktoberfest is the world's largest fair held annually in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. It is a 16-day festival running from late September to the first weekend in October with more than 6 million people from around the world attending the event every year.  The Oktoberfest is an important part of Bavarian culture, having been held since 1810. Other cities across the world also hold Oktoberfest celebrations, modeled after the original Munich event. 

Here in Newark, NJ, Oktoberfest is a great reason for MBAs to get together and drink beer in between classes.  Thank you International Student Organization!