Category Archives: College News

Kellstadt is revising its MBA program and developing new MBA concentrations that are expected to be offered this fall.

Decision-making in all industries is increasingly data-driven, creating more career opportunities for business graduates with analytical skills.

To prepare professionals to take advantage of these opportunities, the Kellstadt Graduate School of Business has revised its MBA program for this fall and is introducing new programs that emphasize analytics.

“The revised MBA curriculum has a greater focus on data analytics and innovation in business, and it is designed to be completed in 18 months for most students,” says Robert S. Rubin, associate dean for graduate and professional education programs at DePaul’s business school. “All courses in the program have been ​updated to ensure relevancy and promote learning of technology-based tools.”

A new MBA concentration, the MBA in Business Analytics, is also being offered this fall.  It will equip students with advanced skills for analyzing business data to identify meaningful trends and recommend actions to capitalize on these trends. “These in-demand skills can be applied to positions across business functions, including those in operations, finance, management and marketing,” Rubin says.

Kellstadt also is developing an MBA in Healthcare Analytics, which it plans to add to the curricula soon. This concentration will equip students with the ability to analyze and act on data in the fast-growing health care industry, Rubin says. “Students in this program will learn how to use data to determine how business, health and public policy interact and what implications this has for health care organizations.”

All courses in the revised MBA program are being updated to ensure relevancy and promote learning of technology-based tools.”
— Robert S. Rubin, associate dean for graduate and professional education programs

Another degree that will debut this fall is the Online Executive Master of Science in Human Resources. “Human resources is another field growing in stature as the job market compels organizations to find highly skilled HR leaders who can execute effective strategies for talent development in changing times,” Rubin says. “We’ve designed our executive master’s degree program in collaboration with human resource industry experts to prepare professionals for these opportunities.”

The Executive MS in Human Resources targets professionals who have at least seven years of experience. Classes will be offered online accompanied by three in-person sessions that allow students to network with classmates, professors and industry leaders. Students can complete the program in 15 months.

For more information about these programs, contact the Kellstadt Graduate School of Business: (312) 362-8810, kgsb@depaul.edu, kellstadt.depaul.edu

Alex Devience

Professor Emeritus Alex Devience, a management faculty member at DePaul’s Driehaus College of Business for 45 years, died on June 13.

An extraordinarily dedicated teacher and mentor, Devience inspired generations of business students and generously guided colleagues. An attorney as well as a professor, Devience taught business law and other subjects at DePaul, and he continued to teach through spring quarter of this year.

“Alex always had a story, joke or interesting anecdote he would drop by and share,” says Lisa Gundry, chair of the Department of Management & Entrepreneurship. “At our department meetings, he was known as the master of Robert’s Rules, and always kept us on track. He was brilliant in the law, and at teaching business law, and made such a positive impact on students who chose to continue their careers in law.”

Jim Staruck (BUS ’65), an assistant professor in the department and fellow attorney, was among those Devience guided. “I’ve known Alex for over 40 years,” he says. “He had the most wry sense of humor, always had a smile, and was an excellent advisor to me.”

Sam Manella (BUS ’81. JD ’85), a clinical professor and Devience’s colleague at the business college, remembers Devience for his love of the law. “Many times we spoke about ethical issues in the law, which is my specialty, and he had so much to offer. He was a very smart man.”

“He had a great rapport with his students,” Manella added. “Many of them who subsequently had a class with me spoke highly of Alex to me. He will be missed.”

Devience is survived by his wife, Arlene, of 59 years; his ward, Mark, and 11 nieces and nephews. Services were private, with interment at Town of Maine Cemetery. In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be made to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Alex’s name. To read more, visit OehlerFuneralHome.

By Kathy Hillegonds and Robin Florzak

Professor Emeritus Robert O’Keefe

Professor Emeritus Robert O’Keefe, a marketing faculty member for 40 years, passed away at age 84 on Feb. 11, 2020.

O’Keefe taught principles of marketing and other marketing courses to generations of business students during his four decades at DePaul. He served as an associate dean and director of DePaul’s graduate business school, where he spearheaded the development of the weekend and full-time MBA programs. Numerous university committees throughout DePaul also benefited from his active participation.

A highly regarded professor and prolific researcher, O’Keefe frequently reached out to junior faculty members to collaborate on papers for publication.

“Bob was the ‘grandfather’ of our department,” says Steve Koernig (MBA ’94), chair of the Department of Marketing. “He was a mentor that cannot be replaced. He worked with numerous faulty members on research projects, and helped junior and senior faculty succeed throughout the tenure and promotion process.

“On a personal note, his wisdom and institutional knowledge was instrumental in helping me as I moved into the department chair role,” Koernig added. “He will be greatly missed.”

O’Keefe was named a St. Vincent de Paul Professor in 2004 to honor his commitment to teaching and productive scholarship, and he won several annual teaching awards from the college and university during his tenure. DePaul recognized his research achievements by presenting him with its Spirit of Inquiry Award in 2015. Upon his retirement that year, DePaul also gave O’Keefe its highest honor, the Via Sapientiae Award, to recognize his many contributions to the university.

The award citation noted that O’Keefe inspired scores of students to become marketers. “In your exemplary career at DePaul,” it said, “you demonstrated how a professor can balance rigorous academic scholarship with a strong dedication to teaching and university service.”

Services were held for O’Keefe on Feb. 17, 2020. Click here to share memories.

By Robin Florzak

Finance Chair Eli Brewer (right) congratulates retiree Finance Associate Professor Carl Luft.

The Driehaus College of Business held a reception in the spring to honor 14 long-serving professors and two staff members who retired from DePaul June 30, 2019.

Retirees celebrated at the event were Associate Professor John Ahern, Ezerski Chair Mark Frigo, Assistant Professor Mark McCarthy, EY Distinguished Professor Bel Needles and Associate Professor David J. Roberts from the School of Accountancy; Professors Bala Batavia and William Sander from the Department of Economics; Associate Professor Carl Luft and Professor Werner F.M. De Bondt from the Department of Finance; Professors Dan Koys, Kenneth Thompson and Harold Welsch, Associate Professor Margaret Posig and Program Administrator Ilya Meiertal from the Department of Management & Entrepreneurship; Associate Professor Roger Baran from the Department of Marketing; and Admissions Associate Petrina Tignino from the Kellstadt Graduate School of Business.

Dean Misty Johanson thanked the honorees for collectively contributing more than 500 years of service to DePaul. “You have transformed the lives of thousands of students through your teaching, advising and program administration,” she said. “You have advanced business thought and practice through your research and industry outreach. You have been our faithful friends, mentors and champions. You embody the Vincentian values we hold dear.”

Two faculty members who accepted deanships at other institutions also were recognized at the reception. Marketing Professor and Associate Provost Lawrence Hamer has been appointed dean of Purdue University Northwest’s College of Business, and Department of Management & Entrepreneurship Chair Dan Heiser has been named dean of the Schneider School of Business & Economics at St. Norbert College.

By Robin Florzaki | Photos by Kathy Hillegonds

Marketing Clinical Professor Roger Lall (middle) with students and alumni involved in the new Marketing Leaders Community: (left to right) Nick Schmitt, Kennedy Conn, Margaret Wolfe, Jenna Rummelhart, Raleigh Meier and Abay Sarsenov. | Photo by Kathy Hillegonds

Faculty directors of Kellstadt Graduate School of Business Master of Science degree programs are launching social media groups online and hosting industry-related events on campus to create new communities of students and alumni associated with these specialized master’s degrees.

“We are forming these communities because we recognize that our master’s students have an affinity for their programs,” says Christa Hinton (MBA ’98, EdD ’12), assistant dean and director of the graduate business program. “We want to create ways for students, alumni and faculty in these programs to connect with each other, share what’s going on in their industries, and network. For alumni it’s a great way to give back by sharing advice with students, who also represent a pipeline of talent for them.”

One such effort, called the Marketing Leaders Community (MLC), is bringing together students and alumni from the Master of Science in Marketing (MSM) program. “We want to differentiate our MSM program from other universities’ programs by enhancing the student experience both inside and\ outside the classroom,” says Clinical Professor and MSM Program Director Roger Lall. MLC hosts two events focusing on industry trends annually for members.

We wanted to create ways for students, alumni and faculty in these programs to connect with each other, share what’s going on in their industries, and network.”

Raleigh Meier (BUS MS ’19), who served as MLC’s first president, says the group is seeking to broaden alumni connections and promote student engagement. “We hope to get MSM students involved while they are current students [to] make the most of their time at DePaul and then be willing to return [as alumni] in the future to provide advice to incoming students.”

Associate Professor Jaclyn Jensen, faculty director of the Master of Science in Human Resources (MSHR) program, formed a LinkedIn group, DePaul MSHR Program, where 141 MSHR students and alumni share job postings and HR industry-related news. She and the DePaul student chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management also host panel discussions. One recent event focused on innovations in human resources and featured four alumni speakers who are senior HR leaders.

“The MSHR LinkedIn community helps to showcase the career events we hold and alumni who are giving back,” says Jensen, “all while helping link current students with industry professionals.”

To find out more about Kellstadt’s student-alumni MS communities, go to go.depaul.edu/MS-Communities.

By Robin Florzak | Photo by Kathy Hillegonds

Geoff Smith, executive director of the Institute for Housing Studies at DePaul.

The city needs to align planning for future large projects with affordable housing strategies. Otherwise the market will respond accordingly, and the city will lose affordable housing.”

Last spring, when Chicago Mayor-elect Lori Lightfoot outlined her agenda for her first 100 days in office, her priorities included increasing affordable housing to stem population loss in the city. Lightfoot named a 44-member Housing Transition Committee to help her team shape strategies for achieving this goal. Geoff Smith, executive director of the Institute for Housing Studies (IHS) at DePaul, was among the experts tapped to serve on the committee.

Smith participated in two meetings with the mayor-elect’s transition team and the committee to discuss policy ideas and provided a memo with recommendations for preserving affordable housing in the city. “In general, we suggested that the new administration use data to be proactive about targeting strategies for affordable housing, especially in neighborhoods near large, planned city investment projects,” Smith says.

The institute, a research center in the college’s Department of Real Estate, analyzes complex housing data for trends that affect affordable housing in the Chicago area. Its 2016 study of the city’s 606 linear park project, for example, found that one of the unintended consequences of the city turning a defunct elevated rail line into a park was an increase in property values that reduced the availability of affordable housing in some adjacent Northwest Side neighborhoods.

“These data indicate that the city needs to align planning for future large projects, such as the Obama Presidential Center and new trails [similar to the 606], with affordable housing strategies,” Smith says. “Otherwise the market will respond accordingly, and the city will lose affordable housing.”

In his memo to the transition team, Smith wrote that “a data lens can help stakeholders understand local conditions and potential vulnerability; convene diverse audiences around solutions; help develop, prioritize and implement strategies; and track outcomes.”

Although Smith’s work on the transition team has concluded, he says the IHS has strong relationships with local and national policymakers that inform housing policy decisions on an ongoing basis. The institute produces annual reports on the state of rental housing and a quarterly home price index for Cook County, among other research, and posts this information on its website, housingstudies.org.

By Robin Florzak | Photo by Kathy Hillegonds

The Driehaus College of Business celebrated the launch of a new digital marketing concentration in its undergraduate marketing major. From left to right: John Digles, Business Dean Misty Johanson, Jacqueline Kuehl (BUS ’87, MBA ’95) and Steve Koernig (MBA ’94). (Photo by Kathy Hillegonds)

Digital marketing talent is in high demand by organizations nationally. In fact, it is the most recruited role by marketing leaders, according to the McKinley Marketing Partners 2019 Hiring Trends Study. This trend won’t be ending anytime soon; 61 percent of the leaders surveyed said they are planning to expand their marketing teams.

To ensure that DePaul students are well prepared for these opportunities, the Driehaus College of Business has launched a digital marketing concentration in its undergraduate marketing major. DePaul announced the concentration to the business community during a Feb. 21 reception attended by more than 100 business professionals.

The program is led by faculty member and alumna Jacqueline Kuehl (BUS ’87, MBA ’95), who brings experience as a marketing consultant and executive to the role. Associate Professor of Marketing J. Steven Kelly and Marketing Chair Steve Koernig (MBA ’94) created the curriculum with input from the marketing department’s advisory board of alumni and industry leaders.

“We developed the courses based on conversations with these business leaders about the skill sets they are seeking from marketing graduates,” Kelly says. “The courses address fundamental needs in business today.”

The courses cover internet marketing and analytics, inbound and content marketing, and search engine, social media and mobile marketing, among other industry-relevant topics. Each student also is required to complete an internship in digital marketing. “With digital communications pervading every aspect of human engagement today, students with digital marketing skills have a wide range of career opportunities, from Fortune 500 companies to startups to nonprofits,” Kuehl says.

Department of Marketing advisory board member John Digles, executive vice president of the public relations firm MWWPR, attended the kickoff reception and says he supports the new concentration’s focus on digital marketing as an essential skill for marketers.

“The curriculum was developed to address social media, data analysis, audience targeting and even influencer marketing,” Digles says. “It’s an exciting start for DePaul and the students, as well as the hiring managers seeking candidates with this coveted background.”

Kuehl added: “We plan to host more events for the digital marketing community to ensure we continue to address the skill needs of businesses.”

By Robin Florzak

Forty-four percent of the U.S. population listened to a podcast in 2018, according to Nielsen. Capitalizing on the popularity of this medium, two DePaul business professors are using podcasts not only to educate, but also to enlighten listeners about issues in their respective areas of expertise: hospitality leadership and accountancy.

“The Hospitality Spirit”

Nicholas “Nick” Thomas, director of the School of Hospitality Leadership, listens as his guest Ryan Arnold, wine director for Lettuce Entertain You, talks about his career during a production of the podcast “The Hospitality Spirit,” Tuesday, July 3, 2018. (Photo by Jamie Moncrief)

“People who work in the hospitality and tourism industry have a great spirit—a sense to serve,” says Associate Professor Nicholas Thomas, director of the School of Hospitality Leadership. “The idea behind the podcast is to bring in a huge cross-section of people from the hospitality and tourism industry and have a conversation.”

Thomas created his podcast, “The Hospitality Spirit,” to drive awareness of the industry, act as a teaching tool and draw attention to programming at the School of Hospitality Leadership. Thomas has interviewed leaders from various segments of the hospitality and tourism industry, discussing with his guests their personal experiences, insights, industry trends and advice for those looking to make a career in hospitality.

“What makes this podcast so interesting is that the topics are wildly varied and unique,” says Thomas. “Whether our guests are entrepreneurs or work in food and beverage, hotel management or meeting and event planning, they bring a huge range of life experiences. As long as we are having fun and producing great content, we will keep on sharing the hospitality spirit.”

Listen to the podcast at SoundCloud (below) or Spotify and iTunes.

“Dupe of the Week”

Associate Professor of Accountancy Kelly Richmond Pope

“A ‘dupe’ occurs when you unexpectedly fall victim to something that seems natural,” says Associate Professor of Accountancy Kelly Richmond Pope, “like when you bury your loved one and the funeral home puts extra charges on your bill, or when you return an item for a gift card and it is empty because the cashier put the return on their own gift card.”

In “Dupe of the Week,” Pope and her cohost, Bill “Professor Fraud” Kresse, a Governors State University assistant professor, provide weekly stories about deception in business, politics, education, nonprofits and even love. Some of the topics are timely, like the failed Fyre Festival that resulted in a multi-million-dollar lawsuit, while others are timeless, cautionary tales.

“There are so many different types of dupes out there that our weekly short segments can be very helpful,” says Pope. “I use the podcasts to educate my students about forensic accounting, and I hope professionals can use them in the classroom, at brown-bag meetings or in training sessions.”

Pope and Kresse interview fraud experts, people who have been duped and, in some cases, the people who perpetrated the fraud. “We provide a one-of a-kind look at every aspect of a fraud,” says Pope. “This podcast not only entertains, but helps protect you from becoming a victim.”

“Dupe of the Week” is available on iTunes. Follow @dupeoftheweek on Twitter.

By Andrew Zamorski

Finance Lab Named for Alumnus Christopher L. Keeley

Members of the Keeley family (left to right)—John Keeley III, Kevin Keeley, Barbara Keeley
and Mark Keeley—join Martin Essenburg, executive director of the John L. Keeley  Jr. Center
for Financial Services, and Elijah Brewer, department of finance chair, following the dedication of the Christopher L. Keeley Finance Lab. Photo: Jamie Moncrief

DePaul’s Finance Lab, where students can learn how to research and manage stock portfolios, was dedicated as the Christopher L. Keeley Finance Lab in a Feb. 7 ceremony at the business college. The lab was named in honor of the 1987 DePaul finance alumnus who died of a pulmonary embolism at age 29 in 2002. Finance Chair Elijah Brewer says the lab truly “honors the entire Keeley family for their continuing support for excellence in finance education at DePaul.” The Keeley family, who have been generous DePaul supporters for more than a decade, and the Keeley Family Foundation donated funds last fall to found the John L. Keeley Jr. Center for Financial Services, named for Christopher’s late father, a finance executive. In 2006 John L. Keeley Jr. and his wife, Barbara, endowed the Christopher L. Keeley Chair in Investment Management.

In Memoriam

Three distinguished, long-serving DePaul business professors passed away this year.

David E. Drehmer, 69, who died Feb. 5, taught at DePaul for 40 years as an associate professor of management. He also was a licensed clinical psychologist. Among his survivors is his son, Charles Drehmer, who teaches at the business college.

Phil Kemp, 73, died May 28. He served the business college in both administrative and faculty positions from 1968 until his retirement in 2007. Kemp taught courses in marketing, management and business administration, and previously directed the graduate business program.

Curtis Verschoor, 87, passed away Jan. 17. A prolific author on business ethics topics, Verschoor served as the Ledger & Quill Professor of Accountancy. He transitioned to emeritus status in 1994 after teaching at DePaul for20 years.