Professional Notes

Dr. Bonnie Holte Bennett, Graduate Programs in Software, has been invited to be an expert evaluator at the Minnesota Venture Capital Conference May 8 and 9 at the Minneapolis Convention Center.  She will be among a panel of evaluators judging the presentations of 11 start-up companies.  These companies have gone through an initial evaluation process and are among the finalists of a group that applied for consideration at this conference.

Dr. David Kelley, Geography Department, presented a paper titled "Historic and Modern Rates of Sediment Delivery to the Upper Mississippi River" on April 27 at the Minnesota Academy of Sciences, Gustavus Adolphus College.  Dr. Robert Werner, Geography Department, served as chair of the geography symposium.

Dr. Mitchell Kusy, Organization Learning and Development, and Dr. Louellen Essex, The Management Center, were keynote speakers at the International Federation of Training and Development Organizations annual conference April 24 in Bahrain.  The title of their address was "Fast Forward Leadership: Seven Updated Leadership Development Practices.  Based on their best-selling business book, Fast Forward Leadership, their keynote presentation focused on the critical practices to which every organization development consultant must adapt to coach leaders in the 21st century.  The audience consisted of approximately 900 delegates from more than 80 countries.   In addition, Essex and Kusy conducted a concurrent session titled "Organizational Change in the Fast Forward Era," which integrated the most contemporary change-management practices for organizational success.

Dr. Lorman Lundsten and Dr. Dave Brennan, Marketing Department, presented a paper titled "Using Median Polish to Deal with Census Data Suppression" at the meeting of the Minnesota Academy of Sciences in St. Peter, Minn., on April 27.

Jacquie Morton, a student, and soon-to-be May 2002 graduate, of the M.A. in Human Resource Development Program, is the recipient of the 2002 Sunny Hansen Graduate Student Award awarded by the Minnesota Career Development Association (MCDA). MCDA is a state affiliate of the National Career Development Association (NCDA) and a division of the Minnesota Association for Counseling and Development (MACD).

Morton received the award on May 2 at the 2002 Minnesota Careers Conference, in St. Paul. The award "recognizes an outstanding graduate student for excellence in projects, service, teaching and/or research that shows a demonstrable dedication to career development as a current or future career." Morton's work during her internship at the University of Minnesota (with field mentors Heidi Perman, career services coordinator at the University of Minnesota's Career and Community Learning Center, and university mentor, Dr. Nick Nissley, of the University of St. Thomas) earned her the award. She received a cash award and plaque at the ceremony.

Dr. Fred Zimmerman, Graduate Programs in Engineering and Technology Management, gave the keynote address at the April 24 meeting of the Minnesota Precision Manufacturers Association. He briefly summarized the contents of Manufacturing Works, The Vital Link between Production and Prosperity, which he co-authored with Dave Beal of the Pioneer Press. Zimmerman also recently was interviewed by the Star Tribune regarding the current economy and the strength of any upturn in manufacturing.