New Degrees Reflect Job Market Trends
Actuaries, supply chain managers, risk managers and executives who excel at research-based decision-making are among professionals who are in high demand in today’s job market. To prepare graduates for these roles, DePaul’s business school introduced new degree programs in these fields this fall.
The Kellstadt Graduate School of Business has added two new master’s degrees—an MS in Enterprise Risk Management and an MS in Supply Chain Management—as well as the college’s first doctoral degree, the Executive Doctorate in Business Administration, which equips working executives with applied research skills they can use to transform their organizations.
The Driehaus College of Business now offers a new undergraduate business major in actuarial science, a profession that often ranks as one of the best in the United States for pay and job satisfaction. The college also has expanded its combined bachelor’s and master’s degree offerings, which allow students to complete both degrees in as little as five years.
“These new degrees allow us to better serve a wide range of students, from those who are about to enter the business world to working professionals who want to advance and experienced executives seeking to take their careers to the highest level,” says Ray Whittington, dean of the Driehaus College of Business.
Double Demon Alumni Scholarship Expands
The Double Demon Scholarship, a DePaul tuition discount program for alumni, is expanding to encompass additional types of graduate coursework. Under the program, newly admitted students who are DePaul alumni receive a 25 percent discount for graduate degree coursework, with seven of DePaul’s colleges and schools participating. Select certificate and non-degree coursework has been added to the program. Some restrictions apply. For more information, e-mail the Kellstadt Graduate School of Business or call (312) 362-8810.
Chair in Business Ethics Named
Daryl Koehn’s appointment as the Wicklander Chair in Business Ethics this past July marks a homecoming for the professor and author.
Koehn taught philosophy at DePaul from 1991 through 1998 and was the 1997-98 Wicklander Chair when the post was a rotating, one-year appointment. She left DePaul to become the Cullen Chair in Business Ethics at the University of St. Thomas in Texas, and subsequently taught business ethics at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. Her return to Chicago and the now nonrotating endowed Wicklander Chair also finds her serving as managing director of the Institute for Business and Professional Ethics. She succeeds Patricia Werhane, who retired from both positions last spring.
Koehn said she welcomes the chance to lead ethics education and outreach efforts at the nation’s largest Catholic university because, she says, Catholic universities “take ethics seriously. DePaul is well-known for its many ethics initiatives, serving not only students and faculty members, but also the community at large.”
One of her priorities is to see the center develop expertise in the fast-growing area of benefit corporations, a new legal form for business entities that explicitly permits managers and boards to focus on benefiting a wide array of stakeholders, not just stockholders. “I think that alumni and the business community can provide useful insight into ways that DePaul can help benefit corporations and refine the notion of ‘ethical business culture,’” Koehn says.
Koehn earned her PhD, MA and BA in philosophy from the University of Chicago, an MBA from Northwestern University and an MA in politics, philosophy and economics from Oxford University. She has authored or edited seven books on subjects that range from global ethics to the nature of evil.
Alumni Named to Head Three College Divisions
The Driehaus College of Business recently promoted three DePaul alumni to leadership roles at the college:
John Ahern (BUS ’65, MBA ’67) has been appointed interim director of the School of Accountancy and Management Information Systems, succeeding Kevin Stevens (MST ’86), who left to become dean of Loyola University’s Quinlan School of Business. Ahern brings extensive experience to his new position, having served previously as the director of the school and as an associate dean for the college. He has been a faculty member for more than 30 years and a Fulbright Scholar twice. Ahern earned his Doctor of Business Administration from the University of Kentucky.
Steve Koernig (MBA ’94) has been named chair of the Depart-ment of Marketing, succeeding Sue Fogel, who stepped down after 15 years to return to the faculty. Koernig joined DePaul in 2002. For the last three years, he has served as associate dean, overseeing program development and continuous improvement for the undergraduate business program. His teaching and research focus on social media marketing and consumer behavior. Koernig received his PhD in marketing from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Charles H. Wurtzebach (BUS ’71) has been named Department of Real Estate chair and Douglas and Cynthia Crocker Endowed Director of the Real Estate Center, 30succeeding Susanne Cannon, who retired. Wurtzebach joined DePaul in 2009 as the George L. Ruff Visiting Professor in Real Estate Studies. He previously directed the Real Estate and Urban Land Economics program at the University of Texas at Austin, and was managing director and property chief investment officer for Henderson Global Investors. Wurtzebach earned a PhD in finance from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
