Category Archives: College News

Richard H. Driehaus

Richard H. Driehaus (BUS ’65, MBA ’70, DHL ’02) is among 33 business school graduates worldwide named to the 2019 Class of Influential Leaders by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the international business school accreditation organization.

Each honoree was chosen for being a “shining example of how AACSB accredited business schools prepare their graduates to create lasting impact in their communities, industries and around the world,” AACSB says on its Influential Leader website, which features profiles of the leaders. Driehaus, founder of Driehaus Capital Management and a philanthropist, was praised for his role as a momentum investing pioneer, his generosity to DePaul’s business college and his philanthropy benefiting arts, culture and economic empowerment programs, primarily in Chicago.

“AACSB’s honor is a tribute to Richard Driehaus’ transformational role as a finance industry visionary and generous benefactor for our business college and community,” says Misty Johanson, dean of the Driehaus College of Business. “We’re proud that Richard is a Triple Demon alumnus of our college.”

Read more about Driehaus and the 2019 Class of Influential Leaders at aacsb.edu/influential-leaders.

Abigail Ingram, assistant director of the Coleman Entrepreneurship Center, is leading DePaul’s Women in Entrepreneurship Institute initiative.

Entrepreneurship among women has been on the rise nationally for two decades, yet venture capital and other resources are often scarce for women business founders. To help redress this disparity and support the success and sustainability of women-owned firms, the Coleman Entrepreneurship Center has launched the Women in Entrepreneurship Institute (WEI).

Abigail Ingram, assistant director of the Coleman Entrepreneurship Center, says the intent is to create the nation’s first comprehensive institute for women founders that integrates academic learning, research, incubation, funding and public policy. “Right now, women are getting just 2 percent of venture capital funding, and less than 2 percent of women-owned businesses reach a million dollars in revenue,” Ingram says. Illinois also is in the lowest 20 percent of U.S. states when it comes to the economic clout of women-owned businesses, according to the “2017 State of Women-Owned Businesses Report.” “We would like to change that,” Ingram asserts.

WEI’s programming encompasses pitch competitions, business incubation space and women in entrepreneurship fellowships, as well as a research initiative to examine why and how women-owned businesses are funded. A new course in women in entrepreneurship featuring leading women business founders as speakers is being developed. Future plans include funding a women in entrepreneurship academic chair.

WEI is backed by a committee of prominent women entrepreneurs and business leaders, some of whom serve on the Coleman Entrepreneurship Center Advisory Board. A key champion of the effort is Joan Hannant, CEO of the Soma Institute, who says the challenges she faced when she entered entrepreneurship motivated her to support WEI. “The Women in Entrepreneurship Institute is very personal for me, as I see it as a vehicle to provide support and programming to help female founders succeed— support I craved, but could not find when I started out.”

Nicholas J. Thomas

Nicholas J. Thomas, interim associate director of the School of Hospitality Leadership at DePaul University, has been promoted to director of the school and associate professor with tenure effective July 1. He succeeds Misty Johanson, who was named dean of the DePaul’s Driehaus College of Business on March 1.

In his new role, Thomas will oversee the school’s academic programs, industry outreach and centers, including the J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation Center for Student Development and Engagement, which he has directed since it was established in 2016.

“I am confident that under Nick’s leadership the school is in good hands and its reputation as Chicago’s premier hospitality business program will continue to grow,” Johanson says.

Thomas’s passion for the hospitality industry began when he was a teenaged bellman in a Baltimore hotel near his home town of Ellicott City, Md. After finishing high school, he earned a bachelor’s degree in hotel administration at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). He worked in hotel operations while in college and, after becoming a hotel employee trainer, developed a strong interest in hospitality teaching and research.

Thomas completed master’s and PhD degrees in hospitality administration at UNLV and was chair of academic affairs for the UNLV’s Singapore campus hospitality program. In 2011, Nicholas and his wife, Lisa Thomas, who also earned a PhD in hospitality administration from UNLV, both joined the faculty of DePaul’s School of Hospitality Leadership, which is part of DePaul’s business college.

Thomas’s teaching and research interests include human resource management, generation Y hospitality employees and the casino and entertainment industry. He is excited to lead the school and continue creating real-world learning opportunities for its students through the school’s strong industry partnerships.

“I feel really confident that what we do inside the classroom is solid, it’s rigorous,” he says. “The students are acquiring knowledge and figuring out how to apply that knowledge. But I think what differentiates us is what we do outside of the classroom—how we do industry job recruitment, the kind of personalized career guidance that the (Marriott) center provides, the mentorships that faculty and industry offer students, and the half-dozen student clubs we have.

“For a program of our size, I think we have an extremely large footprint in the hospitality industry.”

By Robin Florzak

DePaul Provost Marten denBoer, Business Dean Misty Johanson, and DePaul President A. Gabriel Esteban at Convocation.

DePaul Provost Marten denBoer has named Misty Johanson dean of the Driehaus College of Business. Johanson, director of the School of Hospitality Leadership, had served as interim dean for eight months before her appointment as dean on March 1, and she previously served as an associate dean for six years. She is the first woman to serve as dean of DePaul’s business college.

College faculty, staff and industry stakeholders enthusiastically supported her appointment as interim dean last year. At that time, the provost noted that her nearly 20 years of experience in education combined with her out-standing leadership skills, welcoming character and financial acumen would serve the college well.

“That has proven to be the case,” says denBoer, who named Johanson dean following a national search.“Dr. Johanson has done a laudable job, and I’m pleased the college will continue to benefit from her leadership and expertise.”

Under her leadership, the college has focused on strategically growing enrollment, promoting student success, expanding alumni and industry engagement, and enhancing faculty and staff development. Fall graduate business enrollment increased 16 percent, staff roles have been reimagined to enhance the student experience, multidisciplinary collaborations are increasing to support graduate program success and the college is forging stronger connections in the business community. Johanson also launched a campaign with the Office of Advancement to raise $4 million for the college by the end of this academic year and exceeded the goal within the first six months.

“I look forward to continuing this work with the talented faculty and staff within the college as well as our stakeholders, especially as we embark on a new strategic plan,” she says.

Denis E. Springer, chair of the Driehaus College of Business Advisory Council, praises the choice: “Misty is an energetic and innovative leader who connects exceptionally well with the university and business communities and brings a fresh perspective to the role of dean.”

Johanson joined DePaul in 2009 to establish the School of Hospitality Leadership and became its director in 2014. Under her leadership, the school earned accolades for both its innovative teaching and its faculty research. The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation awarded the school a $1.8 million grant in 2016 to create and endow a new Center for Student Development and Engagement.

In addition to receiving multiple excellence-in-teaching awards, Johanson, a graduate of Michigan State University’s hospitality business and tourism program, is recognized as one of the most prolific authors in her field. She started her hospitality career with Marriott International and later served as a faculty member in the hospitality programs of both the University of Hawaii and Georgia State University.

First Business Alumni Reunion Held in China

Alumni gather for the DePaul business college’s first reunion and networking event in China.

For DePaul alumna Quen Wang (MSA ’16), attending DePaul University’s first-ever business alumni reunion in China last April felt like “coming home.”

“I saw so many friends and professors,” says Wang, an audit associate in Deloitte’s Suzhou office. “This is a good stage for us to network with new friends to exchange ideas with each other. Everyone was excited and enjoyed it.”

Held at the Fairmont Peace Hotel on The Bund in Shanghai, the reunion and networking event attracted more than 60 alumni who live and work in China. Accountancy professor Hui Lin, DePaul’s associate director of regional initiatives for China, organized the spring gathering through a new WeChat social media group for DePaul alumni in China that she created with Li Jin, director of DePaul’s Chinese studies program. The online group has about 300 followers.

“We haven’t had a formal event like this before in China, and everybody was really excited to be reconnecting with other alumni,” says Lin. “Given the recent increase in our student population from China, this made sense. We’ve received very positive feedback, including interest in DePaul having another event in the future.”

The success of the Shanghai event has already inspired alumni in Shenzhen to organize their own reunion, which took place in May.

Lin hosted the Shanghai event with Associate Professor of Marketing Zafar Iqbal and Elaina Mack, assistant director of recruitment at the Kellstadt Graduate School of Business. While in China, the trio also connected with Chinese students interested in attending DePaul’s graduate business program. They answered questions about international admission, coursework, internships, career support at DePaul and life in Chicago. Lin notes that the growing number of DePaul alumni in China is a great career networking asset for Chinese students should they decide to attend DePaul.

Those alumni include Phoebe Shijun Li (BUS ’14), who traveled 300 miles to attend the April reunion in Shanghai. “I really appreciate Professors Lin and Iqbal for creating this awesome reunion opportunity for Chinese alumni,” says Li, vice president of marketing and sales at Honghai Glass Inc. “The reception brought us together from different industries. With this precious opportunity, we had a chance to (get to) know more people, learn from each other and reunite with our university professors and old friends.”

Kellstadt Enhances Program Offerings

The Kellstadt Graduate School of Business has made several moves recently to strengthen its programs and meet the evolving needs of its students. They include:

• Forming new corporate partnerships through DePaul’s Corporate and Employer Outreach initiative to provide on-site degree programs at area organizations. This fall, Kellstadt added MBA cohort programs at Bosch and Northern Trust, joining existing MBA programs at MB Financial, Fifth Third Bank, Walgreens and CDW.
• Relocating the DePaul Weekend MBA program to the Loop Campus this fall to be closer to prospective students, who increasingly work for companies based in the city.
• Expanding STEM-designated master’s degree offerings. This Homeland Security designation for science, technology, engineering and math-related degrees allows international students to extend their stays in the United States to pursue education and career opportunities.
• Introducing an MBA management concentration, which provides students the flexibility to focus their studies on coaching and talent development, consulting, leadership and change management, managing human capital or supply chain management.
• Renaming the Master of Accountancy (MACC) the Master of Science in Audit and Advisory Services (MSAA) to better reflect the expertise that students gain in this degree program.

“We are constantly enhancing our programs to meet the changing needs of our students,” says Assistant Dean Christa Hinton (MBA ’98, EdD ’12), director of the graduate business school. “Kellstadt is committed to providing programs that allow graduates to reach their professional goals and bring value to their employers.”

DePaul also has increased its combined degree offerings, which allow students to earn bachelor’s and master’s degrees together. “Not only do I save time and money by earning two degrees at once,” says student Prima Bautista, who is pursuing a combined bachelor’s and master’s in accountancy, “but also the program will make me eligible to sit for the CPA exam and therefore more marketable and attractive to recruiters.”

Coleman Entrepreneurship Center Forges New Alliance

The Coleman Entrepreneurship Center (CEC) is partnering with the School of Music, College of Law and College of Computing and Digital Media to create a DePaul membership at 2112, a Northwest Side incubator for music, video and creative technology startups.

The membership provides faculty, students and alumni access to workshops, lectures, mentorships and other engagement opportunities with entrepreneurs at 2112’s two-year-old facility in Chicago’s Portage Park neighborhood.

Bruce Leech (MBA ’81), executive director of the CEC, says DePaul is the first university to join 2112, which is named after an album by the rock band Rush.

Coleman Entrepreneurship Center Executive Director Bruce Leech (MBA ’81)
and Assistant Director Abigail Ingram (MA ’15) with 2112 Director of Strategic Initiatives Amor Montes de Oca and Director Scott Fetters.

“No matter what business or career you enter, the skill sets of entrepreneurship and innovation are important for sustainable success,” Leech says. “We believe by joining 2112 we will reach a more diverse group of DePaul students and alumni who are interested in starting a business in these areas.”

Leech adds that alumni interested in getting involved in 2112 through DePaul’s partnership should email the Coleman Entrepreneurship Center at CEC@depaul.edu.

Scott Fetters, director of 2112, says that “providing DePaul University students with educational resources, physical workspace and real-world industry experience perfectly aligns with 2112’s vision to help define the future of the creative industries. It’s a privilege for 2112 to support DePaul’s long standing commitment to their students.”

The CEC also formed a new internal alliance in July when DePaul’s Center for Innovation (CI) was merged with the CEC.

“Integrating CI’s most successful initiatives into the CEC’s programming creates synergies that will boost engagement among the ideation and entrepreneurship communities they serve,” says Misty Johanson, interim dean of the Driehaus College of Business.

Management Professor Lisa Gundry, who directed CI, will continue to provide oversight for the innovation programs that have moved to the CEC.

KPMG Foundation Endows Accountancy Professorship

Sandra Shelton, KPMG Casson Professor

DePaul celebrated Accountancy Professor Sandra Shelton as the newly named KPMG Neil F. Casson Endowed Professor and honored the KPMG Foundation’s generous support for DePaul’s accountancy school at a reception hosted by the Driehaus College of Business in April.

“This professorship brings great prestige to the school of accountancy and to the university,” the Rev. Dennis H. Holtschneider, C.M., president of DePaul University, told faculty, students, alumni and KPMG representatives who gathered for the occasion. “It recognizes that faculty are a cherished resource, and, after all, it is faculty who educate, inspire and challenge.”

The endowed professorship supports Shelton’s teaching, research and service, most notably as the director of the internal auditing program at the School of Accountancy and Management Information Systems. The foundation’s gift of $650,000 to fund the professor­ship came from the estate of retired KPMG partner Neil F. Casson’s wife, Jeanne, who chose the KPMG Founda­tion as her sole beneficiary.

Shelton, who has taught at the university for more than two decades, said the professorship had special significance because of KPMG’s steadfast support throughout her academic career. She was one of the first recipients of the KPMG Doctoral Scholarship when she attended the University of Wisconsin.

She later served on the planning committee for The PhD Project, an initiative co-founded by the foundation in 1994 to address the under-representation of minorities on the faculties of American business schools. In 2012, the foundation recognized Shelton as a KPMG Alumni Distinguished Professor, one of only about 40 such professors in the nation.

“This appointment provides me with a greater opportunity to pay it forward to support the needs of students and my community in my efforts to make a difference,” Shelton said.

At the reception, Fr. Holtschneider presented Bernard J. Milano, president of the KPMG Foundation, with the DePaul Richardson Society plate to acknowledge the foundation’s long-standing philanthropic support.

“DePaul has been a major source of talent for the profession and we are proud of having our name associated with both the university and Sandra,” Milano said. “We look forward to many more years working together with integrity on our mutual high-quality, caring and diverse relationship.”

$1.8 Million Marriott Foundation Grant Supports New Hospitality Student Center

Nick Thomas, director of the new J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Center for Student Development and Engagement (left), with DePaul Marriott Scholar Elanna Smith (BUS ’15) and Marriott representative Annmarie Gustello.

The School of Hospitality Leader­ship opened a new student center on the Loop Campus this fall with the support of a $1.8 million grant from the J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation.

Believed to be the first of its kind in the country, the J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Center for Student Develop­ment and Engagement provides a place for students to connect with industry leaders and alumni mentors for personalized career preparation and leadership development guidance. It complements the highly specialized, cutting-edge curriculum of the school, which prepares students for manage­ment positions with hotels, restaurants and tourism ventures.

“This investment will significantly enhance the ability of the School of Hospitality Leadership to offer genera­tions of diverse students a competitive advantage of academic preparation and professional development, befitting one of the best applied hospitality manage­ment programs in the nation,” says Misty Johanson, director of the school.

Led by Assistant Professor of Hospitality Leadership Nicholas Thomas, the center offers students individualized mentoring and career guidance; customized internship planning; and leadership and profes­sional skills seminars, including eti­quette and international service culture training. It also hosts industry and alumni events.

Among the center’s new initiatives is an ambassador program that enables students to work one-on-one with Chicago hospitality executives within their organizations. “Because of DePaul’s ideal location and tremendous industry support for the program in Chicago, executives are eager to be involved in the School of Hospitality Leadership and the lives of its students,” Johanson says.

Coleman Entrepreneurship Center Names Alumnus as Executive Director, Unveils New Space

The Coleman Entrepreneurship Center’s new executive director Bruce Leech, joins Assistant Director Abigail Ingram and Michael W. Hennessy, president and CEO of the Coleman Foundation at the entrance of the center’s new space on DePaul’s campus.

The Coleman Entrepreneurship Center (CEC) has been a beacon of innovation in business at DePaul since its inception in 2003. Founded with a grant from The Coleman Foundation, the center provides guidance and resources for DePaul students and alumni to start and grow new ventures. The center is now poised to take its efforts to the next level thanks to a new leader, new space and a newly invigorated strategic plan.

In April, the CEC welcomed entrepre­neur Bruce Leech (MBA ’81) as its executive director. Leech, who has been involved with the CEC for more than 12 years as an advisory board member, relishes this opportunity to lead the center into its innovative future.

“I am looking to leverage my 30 years in business and my experience of starting, selling and building businesses to work with the CEC staff to help expand our world-class programs,” says Leech, founder of CrossCom National, a telecommunication and IT services company. “I want to connect the entrepreneurial ecosystem within DePaul, within Chicago and across the country and the world.”

Leech and new CEC assistant director Abigail Ingram (LAS MA ’15) hosted the opening of the center’s new 4,000-square-foot offices on the seventh floor of the DePaul Center in the fall. The modern, flexible space features a main room that can be converted easily from a co-working area for student entrepreneurs to an 80-seat venue for the center’s programming.

The center supports DePaul’s highly ranked entrepreneur degree programs with workshops, seminars and speakers; a student and alumni new-venture competition called Launch DePaul; and an internship program that pairs students with newly founded Chicago businesses, among other initiatives. Last year, the CEC hosted 102 guest speakers and reached more than 2,000 people through its activities.

Leech says the CEC’s headquarters will serve as a bridge connecting students from across DePaul to entrepreneur alumni and Chicago’s thriving startup community. “This is a space where students and alumni can nurture their business ideas and try them out before unleashing them in the ‘real world.’”

In Memoriam: Brother Leo Ryan, C.S.V., Former DePaul Business Dean

Brother Leo. V. Ryan, C.S.V., former dean and professor emeritus, offers the convocation as DePaul University Driehaus College of Business during the 116th commencement ceremonies on Sunday, June 15, 2014, at Allstate Arena in Rosemont.(DePaul University/Jamie Moncrief)

From early beginnings in his small hometown of Waukon, Iowa, to training Peace Corps volunteers in Brazil, to initiating new graduate business programs and professorships at DePaul,

Bro. Leo Ryan, C.S.V. (MBA ’53, DHL ’13) spent his life transforming others through leadership, dedication and care. On June 22, he died at the age of 89.

A world traveler and prolific scholar, Bro. Leo “was generous in sharing his insights with his colleagues here and around the globe,” says Ray Whittington, dean of the Driehaus College of Business.

After receiving a bachelor’s degree from Marquette University, Bro. Leo entered his religious order, the Clerics of Saint Viator, in 1949. He later earned an MBA from DePaul and a doctorate from Saint Louis University.

Bro. Leo served as president of Saint Viator High School and dean at both Marquette University and the University of Notre Dame before returning to DePaul in 1980 as business college dean.

During his eight-year tenure, the college launched the School of Accountancy, the Institute for Business and Professional Ethics, the Kellstadt Marketing Center, and its first endowed professorships in entrepreneurship and finance. Bro. Leo also established the Dean’s Advisory Council and fostered greater engagement between the college and Chicago’s business community.

After retiring as dean, Bro. Leo continued sharing his knowledge about business ethics and management as a professor in the college and through his scholarship and teaching around the world.

He became a professor emeritus in 1999 and was honored that year with a Via Sapientiae Award, DePaul’s highest faculty and staff honor. In 2013, the business college presented him with an honorary doctorate.

“The contributions he made to business education, to DePaul and to countless alumni were enormous,” Whittington says. “He will be remembered for championing many initiatives that make our college distinctive today.”

Forum Highlights the Value of Diversity in the Classroom and Boardroom

WGN-TV Anchor Lourdes Duarte (CMN ’99) moderated “Celebrate Diversity in Driehaus,” a discussion of diversity in business, with chief diversity officers Greg Jones of United Airlines and Patricia Sowell Harris of McDonald’s.

Business professors and students gathered with corporate leaders to discuss the value of diversity in business and business education during “Celebrate Diversity at Driehaus.” The event, hosted by the Driehaus College of Business at the DePaul Center in November, was held in conjunction with the PhD Project’s 2015 national conference in Chicago.

Launched by the KPMG Foundation, the nonprofit PhD Project has a national mission to advance workplace diversity by encouraging and mentoring minority professionals to become business school professors. DePaul partners with the PhD Project to recruit its alumni to teach at the university, and many of these professors attended the event.

In his welcoming remarks, KPMG Foundation President Bernie Milano praised DePaul for hiring 13 PhD Project alumni as faculty members—more than any other university in the country, excluding historically black colleges.

A diverse faculty, he observed, creates an environment in which students of color feel that they belong and can achieve academically and professionally. “To see someone like you, that’s inspiring for students.”

Dean Ray Whittington noted that this is especially important for universities like DePaul, where 34 percent of students come from underrepresented groups. “We’re proud to join forces with the PhD Project to encourage a powerful ripple effect that benefits students, business schools and, ultimately, the business community that hires our graduates.”

DePaul Assistant Professor of Accountancy Stephani Mason, a PhD Project alumna, organized the event, which featured a fireside chat about industry diversity trends with executives from McDonald’s and United Airlines. Referencing the current national conversation about diversity and racial equality

“It’s a perfect time to discuss why this matters, why it’s an imperative for business and why DePaul is in the forefront of this effort.” — Stephani Mason.

Marketing Professor Wins Teaching Accolades

Joel Whalen has been honored for his teaching excellence by industry organizations and students.

Associate Professor of Marketing Joel Whalen has won high marks for his performance in the classroom from two major marketing organizations.

The American Marketing Association presented Whalen with its Sales Teacher of the Year award at its 2015 international convention in Chicago last August. Then, in November, he was named the winner of the Society for Marketing Advances 2015 Axcess-Capon Teaching Competition, the international marketing society’s highest teaching honor.

Whalen, a former Miami radio DJ turned PhD, has been teaching the art and science of effective business communications for 30 years at the Driehaus College of Business, where he is director of curriculum for the Sales Leadership program. He also is the author of more than 180 journal articles, proceedings, papers and books on business communications and sales strategy. Alumni of his classes span the world because he has taught in Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia.

What’s Whalen’s teaching philosophy?

“I believe that a classroom is a learning theatre,” he says. “The students and teacher create the learning experience together. I design the lectures, demonstrations, exercises and events that transport students to higher communication learning.

DePaul students, particularly graduate students, need ideas and skills they can put to work the next day. My classes are designed to give them the competitive tools they need.”

DePaul Business Programs Earn Rankings

3RD HIGHEST

DePaul’s Part-Time MBA program was the third-highest-ranked Chicago program in Bloomberg Businessweek’s “Best Business Schools 2015.”

TOP 10

TaxTalent’s 2016 survey of employers ranked DePaul’s Master of Science in Taxation No. 4, Master of Science in Accountancy No. 6, and the undergraduate accounting program No. 10 nationally.

TOP 20

The Princeton Review has once again named DePaul’s entrepreneurship program among the best in the nation. The undergraduate program ranked No. 12 (up three spots) and the graduate program placed No. 15 (up five places) on the list of the “Top Schools for Entrepreneurship Studies in 2016.” DePaul was the only Illinois university to make both rankings.
Alumni, faculty and student entrepreneurial activity and success were among the factors evaluated to determine the rankings.

TOP 100

Five DePaul graduate business degrees ranked in the top 100 internationally, and six others were recognized in the North American top 40 by Eduniversal in its “2016 Best Masters Rankings.” The Paris-based university rankings agency based its rankings on a survey of international recruiters, students and representatives from 1,000 academic institutions in 154 countries.

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 Ahearn

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

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. 

Charlie Wutzebach

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.