FEBRUARY 2006
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Career Not a Sprint, But a Marathon
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News from the School of Business & Technology
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Faculty Spotlight — Dan Hellinger
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St. Louis Calendar Highlights
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Employee of the Month
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Just for Laughs
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Kampus Kudos
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Service Anniversaries
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New Employees
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Condolences
To view the Inside Webster archives, click here
* Top Photo: Tim Murphy, speaks to students at SIFE event. Photo by Karen Burch
A standing-room-only crowd of marketing and advertising students came to hear Tim Murphy detail his 23-year career with Anheuser-Bush Feb. 9. Murphy, senior director of creative development, received an MBA from Webster in 1986.
The event was sponsored by Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE). (See sidebar for more about SIFE.)
“This year’s turnout nearly doubled last year’s, so I think the news on Tim has spread,” said Debbie Pshountas, SIFE faculty advisor and assistant professor, Finance. “He does a great job showing students what goes on behind the scenes to produce the end result consumer experience.”
Murphy’s first job with Anhueser-Busch was with the Contemporary Marketing Team, which was made up of five men and women in their 20s. Murphy said the entry-level position had its perks, as the job involved going into bars to buy beer and get to know the retailers.
From there, Murphy moved on to 10 different positions with the company. He stressed that six of those moves included small raises and title changes, but were basically lateral. He said his big break came after he worked on the Anheuser-Busch Bubble Boy commercial (where a bar turns into a table hockey game) and turned it into a retail promotion.
Murphy cautioned the students about being in too much of a hurry to move up in an organization, saying it’s important to pay your dues and do a good job, whatever you are asked to do. “Remember, it’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon,” he said.
“Don’t worry too much about your paycheck in the beginning,” Murphy said. “If you’re good and you work hard, that comes. Have fun. If you don’t like the job, you’re not going to perform well.”
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SIFE (Students in Free Enterprise) is a global nonprofit organization that serves as a mechanism by which students can enhance their career paths in their current field of study. SIFE faculty advisor Debbie Psihountas says membership in SIFE provides a great way for students to complete projects that will enhance their skills and resumes for their future careers. |
One of Murphy’s most challenging positions was the four years he spent as executive assistant to Bob Lachky, then vice president for brand management. “It was in the eye of the storm — the center of the marketing department,” Murphy said.
Murphy’s current position is director of interactive marketing, and he shared with the audience the PowerPoint presentation — including his marketing plan and goals for the position — that he presented to management to land the position.
He said the two objectives of his marketing plan are to support brand image and to entertain customers. “Bud Light has an image of fun, youth, humor — not your father’s beer,” he said. “So when people go to Bud Light’s Web site, that is the image I want to portray.”
Since the Web site audience is younger than the TV audience — approximately ages 21 to 29 — Murphy said the material can be a little more edgy and entertaining. He screened a few of the Web site ads, which the Webster students certainly found to be entertaining.
At the end of his presentation, Murphy screened some of A-B’s Super Bowl commercials, explaining the creative process involved in making them. These were also a big hit with the students.
Luis Bianco, student president of SIFE, said Murphy’s presentation “was a great opportunity to learn about my own career development. Sometimes we think we might get our dream job right away, but that’s not always true.”
A-B Web site: www.anheuser-busch.com
This year’s group of eight Super Bowl commercials can be viewed at www.budweiser.com
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BJC/Webster School of Business Begin MBA Cohort
The School of Business and Technology recently teamed with BJC HealthCare to offer an MBA program tailored to BJC health care professionals on-site at BJC’s Clayton Avenue Building. Dean Benjamin Akande, who conceived the BJC cohort, says it’s an extension of Webster’s mission to bring our program to those who aspire to pursue a degree.
Gary Stocker, program manager at BJC’s Center for Life Long Learning, said convenience was a driving force. Many BJC employees expressed interest in pursuing an MBA but were concerned about fitting an academic program in with work and family obligations. “We had anticipated filling one program with 25 students,” Stocker said. “But the response to this onsite MBA was so overwhelming that we expanded to two programs.”
The program created by the School of Business and Technology enabled 50 allied health personnel in the BJC system to pursue their MBA degrees. Students participating in the program include medical doctors, pharmacists, radiologists and medical record officers.
The next MBA cohort is tentatively scheduled to start in late 2006.
Entrepreneurship Certificate
The School of Communications, the School of Business and Technology and the Leigh Gerdine College of Fine Arts have announced a new certificate in entrepreneurship to provide business skills to students interested in owning their own business or working as freelance professionals. The course of study includes business and financial planning, marketing/promotion management, copyright and creative rights, as well as business plan development. At the end of the 18-credit-hour program, students’ business plans will be critiqued by a panel of successful entrepreneurs.
The first course, Entrepreneurship and Small Business, is offered this spring. The certificate is tailored to students in music, photography or business, with other academic areas to be added later. Webster is the only regional institution offering such a program.
Dual Degree MBA/MHA
The School of Business also announced the introduction of the combined MBA/MHA dual-degree program. The dual degree offers people in the health and medical sector to receive two degrees at the completion of the 56-credit-hour degree. Students can begin pursuing this dual degree in June 2006.
Other programs to begin June 2006
• Online Management and Leadership
• Online Human Resources Management
• Online Certificate of Global Commerce
• MBA with emphasis in Web Services
• MA in Information Technology Management
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 Hellinger with Venezuelan woman who organized a women’s committee in a poor barrio (neighborhood). |
In August 2004, Hellinger was invited to go to Venezuela to provide commentary on the recall vote of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, which was carried by National Public Radio and the British Broadcasting Corporation. After Chavez was retained by 58 percent of Venezuelan voters, Hellinger was invited to be part of a panel of experts assembled by the U.S. State Department to brief the new ambassador to Venezuela.
Hellinger went again to Venezuela in January as part of a delegation organized by Robert White, former U.S. Ambassador to El Salvador and founder of the Center for International Policy, a think tank he started to work toward bettering relationships between the United States and Latin America.
Recently Inside Webster talked with Hellinger about some current Latin American issues.
Inside Webster: Chile recently elected their first female president, Michele Bachelet. What are your thoughts about her election?
Dan Hellinger: Just the fact that she was able to get elected is a big step forward for women in Latin America. On one hand, however, things aren’t going to change a whole lot because her cabinet appointments are fairly conservative. In particular, those she has appointed to economic positions are not going to change the basic economic model. There always has been a degree of unhappiness within the general population that, since the fall of Augusto Pinochet in 1988, there haven’t been bigger changes in economic models to ensure more equality in society.
There are a couple of things that are promising, though. In her campaign, Bachelet laid a foundation to change some things in Chile’s constitution that will make it easier to make economic changes down the road. Another thing she’s done is that half of her cabinet appointments are women, and I notice on her Web site — which is in Spanish — that she goes out of her way to emphasize that the people who hold positions could be men or women by using both masculine and feminine pronouns. This has become common form in English, but it’s not common at all in Spanish.
Bachelet’s Web site can be seen here: www.michellebachelet.cl/m_bachelet/ambientes/0
IW: I understand you have been doing research on the copper industry in Chile.
DH: Yes, it grew out of my interest in Venezuela, where I had studied oil policies. Chile is the world’s most important copper exporter, and Venezuela is one of the most important oil exporters, and there are similarities.
You have the interests of the host nation and the interests of the foreign investors, so the question becomes, “What are the terms under which they will operate?” Conflicts have arisen in Chile because the price of copper has shot up and the companies are making huge profits, while the Chileans are hardly getting anything back because they created generous tax and royalty policies when the price was low. Chile wants to raise the taxes and, of course, the companies say their taxes can’t be raised because they have a contract.
IW: What about Venezuela?
DH: In January, I went to Venezuela with a delegation from the Center for International Policy to assess the current political situation. An academic with specialization in Venezuela was needed and I was recommended. The group included academics, civic leaders, financial supporters and business people.
IW: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and his difficulties with the U.S. have been in the headlines recently. Can you provide some insight into the situation?
DH: One problem is oil. The current government reversed the generous terms they offered to foreign oil companies during the 1990s. They continue to welcome foreign capital, but they have raised royalties and taxes and imposed new conditions.
Secondly, Chavez has open, friendly relations with a number of governments with which we are at odds — for example — Cuba and Iran. He is a friend of Fidel Castro’s and maintains a relationship with Iran because it is a major oil exporter, and they cooperate with each other in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
In addition, Chavez has become something of a leader of the Third World who is not afraid to speak out against U.S. policies. His condemnation of the U.S. bombing of Afghanistan, saying you can’t fight terrorism with terrorism, was probably the final straw with Washington.
The Chavez government has been criticized for being corrupt, while there has been corruption for a long time. I think Chavez himself is not corrupt, but I don’t think he quite knows how to get a handle on the problem.
Chavez can be a very polarizing figure — both inside and outside Venezuela — because of his rhetoric. Another concern is the fact that, after the most recent election, Chavez has so much power because he has complete control over all three branches of government. He has, however, repeatedly stood for election and submitted his proposals to the people and won, and he has been restrained in dealing with his opponents, some of whom have plotted to overthrow him.
IW: What do you see happening in Venezuela’s future?
DH: The most hopeful scenario for the future is for the people, especially the poor, to become empowered and insist on the right to hold elected officials accountable. They also need to develop an alternative model of the economy with more room for cooperatives and a more equal distribution of wealth.
It’s probably Utopian to think they are just going to create this new kind of democracy. If I had to guess, I’d predict Chavez will be there for another seven years, during which you will see people begin to want to do something about the corruption and hold the people who are part of Chavez’s party accountable. Even that is an optimistic scenario.
IW: You visited Cuba two years ago. Has much changed since you were there?
DH: The biggest internal change has been switching from dollars to Euros, which was done because the people who received dollars from the outside were able to live a lot better than those who weren’t, so all the dollars were called in.
Externally, the Bush administration has further tightened travel restrictions, so it’s a lot harder to go there. Universities used to be able to offer short-term study trips of two or three weeks for students, but now any program has to be there at least 10 weeks.
I don’t believe there will be much change inside Cuba as long as the U.S. keeps its hard- line policy, and that gets us back to the Center for International Policy and their belief that — in the long run — Cuba will be more democratic if we work toward constructive relationships rather than trying to isolate it.
 Hellinger jamming with band mates (l to r) Gus Hoelscher, Larry O'Neill, Mike Gravagna. Photo courtesy of MapleJam.com. |
DH: I think you have more energy for your career when you have other outlets. The two fun things I do are golf and music. The golf gets me away for a few hours with friends, and I manage to attend jams or play with the band about 40 to 50 times per year. And I’m lucky that Joann, my wife, is so supportive of my career and my hobbies.
Maple Jam Band Web site maplejamband.com
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Conservatory Theatre Productions
 Theatre students (l to r) Ben Mason, Adam Henry and Chelsea Pattison perform in “A New Brain.” Photo by Claudia Burris. |
• An uplifting musical about life in the face of tragedy concerns a neurotic, frustrated composer who finds comfort in the healing power of art after he is diagnosed with a terminal illness.
• Feb. 22 – 26 and March 1 – 5, 7 p.m., Sundays 2 p.m.
• Moore Auditorium
• Admission $10; Webster faculty and staff free with I.D.
“String of Pearls”
• All-female production directed by Kat Singleton, associate professor, Theatre and Dance, traces the 36-year journey of a family’s pearl necklace. The play concerns 30 different characters portrayed by four actresses. Talk-backs will follow productions on March 31, April 2 and April 7.
• March 29 – April 2 and April 5 – 9, 7:30 p.m.; Sundays, 2 p.m
• Stage III, Webster Hall
• Admission $10; Webster faculty and staff free with I.D.
In conjunction with the production of “String of Pearls,” Theatre and Dance and Women’s Studies are co-sponsoring a series of talks to be presented before three performances:
“Women: Friendship, Family, Love, Jewelry,”
• Meg Sempreora, chair and associate professor, English
• Thurs., March 30, 6:15 – 7:15 p.m., Moore Auditorium
“Reflections and Influences on Practices of Contemporary Mothers”
• Jenny Broeder, MSN coordinator and assistant professor, Nursing
• Wed., April 5, 6:15 – 7:15 p.m., Moore Auditorium
“String of Pearls and the Gems of Female Sexuality”
• Monica Moore, professor, Behavioral and Social Sciences
• Thurs., April 6, 6:15 – 7:15 p.m., Moore Auditorium
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Contributed by Shawn Arbogast, Student Editorial Assistant
FEBRUARY 2006 SPOTLIGHT AWARD
Derrick Florian, receiving clerk, Shipping and Receiving, and Susan Ross, assistant registrar and alumni development associate, Geneva Campus, share the Employee Spotlight Award for February.
“I was surprised and shocked and it made me feel really good,” Derrick Florian said about winning the award. “But I have to say it’s not just me in Shipping. I have to give credit to the student employees, Larry Loveless and Paul Goetz, who make me look good.”
“Derrick is consistently upbeat — no small feat for someone who has to haul heavy packages around in all kinds of weather,” Florian’s nominator says. “Recently, when I was missing an important package, Derrick went far beyond my expectations. He reassured me he would do everything possible to locate the package and did. Within minutes, he uncovered a shipping error and calmed my fears.”
Florian says he’s a people person and that the best part of his job is the people he works with everyday.
Florian chose a day off with pay as his reward.
Susan Ross recently planned and implemented a gala event on marking the inauguration of The Living and Learning Center, a new building on the Geneva campus.
Through Ross’s initiative, 100 students, staff and faculty from 50 countries provided traditional food for an estimated 500 guests representing diplomatic, business and international organizations and government communities.
“It was her organizational skills and determination that made the event so successful,” her nominator says.
(Editor’s Note: Unfortunately, Ross was not available to be interviewed.)
Employees everywhere are eligible for the monthly Employee Spotlight Award.
Using the nomination form is easy!
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Etido Akpan, adjunct professor, Memphis Supply Activity, Tenn., recently published the book, Finding and Keeping Your Significant Other, a manual for singles and married couples “based on biblical principles.” Interviews with Akpan about the book appeared on Florida’s Christian Television Network (CTN), Fox 13 Good Morning Memphis, News Channel 3 and Action News 5 Today Show.
Paula Hanssen, lecturer and coordinator of German Studies, International Languages and Cultures, has been elected secretary treasurer of the International Brecht Society, an international association affiliated with the Modern Languages Association. Also, he was among several Brecht scholars interviewed for the article, “For Brecht, an Ironic Encore,” by Monaghan for The Chronicle of Higher Education, April 29, 2005. Hanssen was elected president of the Special Interest Group “Small Undergraduate German Programs” of the American Council on Teaching Foreign Languages for 2005-07. In addition, Hanssen presented a paper, “Teaching Culture: On Site, Online and At Home,” with Roy Tamashiro, professor, School of Education, at the Hawaii International Conference on Education in January. Hanssen and Tamashiro were members of the panel, “The Online Study Abroad Course: Innovations in International Learning and Travel for Educators,” with a student from their hybrid study abroad/online course.
Johanna Posset, adjunct professor, Vienna, Austria, translated the following articles and books from Czech/Slovak into German: “Roman für Frauen (Novel for Women) by Michal Viewegh, Vienna: Deuticke, 2002 (with H. Vintr); “Erzählungen über Ehe und Sex (Stories of Marriage and Sex), by Michal Viewegh, Vienna: Deuticke, 2004; and “Die Dreikaiserschlacht Austerlitz 1805” (The Battle of Austerlitz 1805), by Dulan Uhlío, Brno, Czech Republic: AVE, 2005.
Michael Parkinson, chair and professor, Music, was guest clinician, with Bob Long from Missouri Western University, for an intensive jazz workshop at the Iowa High School Music Association State Jazz Festival on Jan. 28, in Waukee, Iowa. Nine bands from these schools participated in the workshop: Urbandale High School, Johnston High School, West Des Moines Valley High School and Waukee High School. A concert concluded the day with proceeds going to help bring nationally recognized jazz musicians and educators to future jazz colloquiums.
Monica Moore, professor, Behavioral and Social Sciences, was interviewed for an article published in Forbes.com Business Basics on Feb. 9, 06. The article, “Flirting With Disaster,” concerned flirting in the work place.
Guillermo Rodriguez, director, Study Abroad, was elected chair of the board of directors of the Webster Groves/Shrewsbury Area Chamber of Commerce. He will serve in an interim capacity, focusing his energies on improving the chamber’s financial condition, revising the bylaws and enhancing services to members.
David Bakey, adjunct professor, Fort Stewart, Ga., received the “Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers” award for the third consecutive year. Former students who have been cited for academic excellence nominate the honorees. Only 5 percent of the nation’s teachers are chosen to be recipients.
Barry Hufker, associate professor, Electronic and Photographic Media, recorded the Saint Louis Chamber Chorus and the Concert Choir of Washington University in performance at the Cathedral-Basilica of Saint Louis. The performance featured the world premiere of “The Shepheardes Calendar,” written by renowned British composer Judith Bingham. Hufker recently had two DVDs released by Mel Bay Publications: the premiere DVD of the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet recorded at the Sheldon Concert Hall, and “Chet Licks,” performed by John McClellan.
Carol Nelson, director, Memphis Naval Activity, Tenn., was the subject of two articles in The Millington Star online newspaper (Feb. 1, 2006), praising her volunteer work as chair of the Millington City Beautiful Commission (CBC). Nelson recently presided over CBC’s annual award event recognizing citizens who have made exceptional contributions toward the beauty and safety of the city of Millington.
Scott Jensen, associate professor and director, Forensics and Debate, has been elected Missouri State President-Elect for the Missouri Association of Forensic Activities. He will assume the presidential duties in two years. Jensen recently accompanied Webster’s forensics team to the annual Missouri state championships, where the team won a number of honors, including three first-place awards.
Keep us posted on your professional activities and send us your story ideas by completing the UFO form.
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The University extends its appreciation to the following individuals who have served the institution for many years:
FEBRUARY 2006
Sue Allhoff, representative, Registrar, 10 years
Daryl Berkey, financial aid counselor, Financial Aid, 10 years
Madeleine Moku, office manager, Albuquerque Metropolitan Campus, N.M., 10 years
Stacey Minchey, department assistant, Orlando Metropolitan Campus, Fla., 5 years
Erin Rivers, department assistant, School of Education, 5 years
Claire Shawhan, director, Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., 5 years
Sarah Wieck, financial aid counselor, Financial Aid, 5 years
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We extend warm welcome to the newest members of the Webster family:
Kimberly Alt, communications dispatcher, Public Safety, (314) 961-2660, ext. 7430, replaces Maria Webster
Max Dinges, lab assistant, Pope Air Force Base, N.C., (910) 436-0014 or speed dial #6 024, replaces Kenrick Kokaram.
Barbara Hethcote, program manager and course facilitator, Center for Professional Development, (636) 230-0832
Danny Hitchell, associate vice president, Finance, (314) 968-7442, replaces Chad Handshy.
Rachel Johnes, department assistant, Development, (314) 968-7142, replaces Jason Huff.
Frank Palermo, groundskeeper, Facilities Operations, (314) 968-6904, replaces Dan Harmann.
Susan Robbins, secretary, Rolla Metropolitan Campus, Mo., (573) 368-4569 or speed dial #6 102, replaces Beth Williams.
Mary Spangler, department associate, Development, (314) 968-5949
Yvonne Urquieta, department assistant, Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., (573) 329-6777, replaces Necocli Armstrong.
Beth Williams, secretary, Rolla Metropolitan Campus, Mo., (573) 368-4569, replaces Tealok Lewis.
To learn more about job opportunities at Webster, go to the Human Resources Jobs site.
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The University extends its sympathy to Carl Richards, Bolling Air Force Base, in the loss of his mother; to Robert Chitwood, Public Safety, in the loss of his brother; Grant Chapman, Academic Affairs, in the loss of his father; and to Cathi Nolde, Financial Aid, in the loss of her mother.
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Marianne Kirk, Editor
Marketing & Communications
MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS CONTRIBUTORS
Claudia Burris, Sr. Editor & Photojournalist
Casey Conroy, Graphic Designer
Dominik Jansky, Writer/Editor
Patrick Powers, Writer/Editor
Shawn Arbogast, Writer
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY CONTRIBUTORS
Pete McEwen, Technical Advisor
HUMAN RESOURCES CONTRIBUTORS
Betsy Schmutz, Director
Gloria Barbre, Benefit Representative
Julie Dreiling, HR Coordinator