w.p. carey logo

W.P. Carey Spring 2022

Rich DeGraff
(BS Business
Administration ’03)
Innovative ways the W. P. Carey
community connects with ASU,
industries, and the world
Spring 2022

“Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.”

—Andrew Carnegie

The ASU West campus at night. Home to 10 W. P. Carey undergraduate majors and concentrations, the Master of Science in Global Logistics, and the new Knight-Swift Logistics Lab, West campus landmarks include the Albert Paley-designed entry gates, extensive public art, and at the center of campus, Fletcher Lawn. This commons is a contemporary homage to traditional university education, as is the Oxford-inspired architecture around it on the courtyard-fashioned campus.

“Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.”

—Andrew Carnegie
Arizona State University Campus at night

The ASU West campus at night. Home to 10 W. P. Carey undergraduate majors and concentrations, the Master of Science in Global Logistics, and the new Knight-Swift Logistics Lab, West campus landmarks include the Albert Paley-designed entry gates, extensive public art, and at the center of campus, Fletcher Lawn. This commons is a contemporary homage to traditional university education, as is the Oxford-inspired architecture around it on the courtyard-fashioned campus.

Dean’s Letter WPC
Dean Amy Ostrom smiling

Friends of W. P. Carey,

G

reetings! This spring at W. P. Carey has been filled with exciting announcements for our school. From the anticipation of a new dean to the latest U.S. News & World Report undergraduate rankings, we have a lot to share.

Importantly, all of what we accomplish is possible only because of the collaboration and support of our extended community. That’s our focus for this issue of W. P. Carey magazine. We take a look at how teamwork — from multidisciplinary research to public-private partnerships and interdisciplinary applied student projects — makes the impossible suddenly possible. Collaboration also enriches our lives, helping us forge new relationships and gain broader perspectives.

The past several years have made it abundantly clear that no one person, no one school, no one discipline, no one company can go it alone. Working together is the way forward. We’re happy to continue to shape the future of business with you.

Thank you for your ongoing support and involvement with the W. P. Carey School. Let me know if you have any ideas for how we can collaborate more in the future. I would love to hear from you. Email me at Amy.Ostrom@asu.edu.

Warm regards,

Amy L. Ostrom, PhD signature
Amy L. Ostrom, PhD
Interim Dean
PetSmart Chair in Services Leadership
W. P. Carey School of Business

W. P. Carey Indigenous Land Acknowledgement

The W. P. Carey School of Business acknowledges the 22 Tribal Nations that have inhabited this land for centuries. Four of Arizona State University’s campuses are located in the Salt River Valley on ancestral homelands of many Indigenous peoples, including the Akimel O’odham (Pima) and Pee Posh (Maricopa), whose care and keeping of these lands allows us to be here today and provide a guide for our relationship with these lands in the future. W. P. Carey acknowledges the sovereignty of these tribal nations and seeks to foster an environment of success and possibility for American Indian students, and to work alongside Indigenous people in business practices and knowledges that support Native experiences and prosperity.
WPC Voices

Letter to the editor

Dear editor,

As an ASU alum, I always love reading the W. P. Carey publication to learn about all the amazing things current staff, students, and fellow alumni are doing in the world.

Corrie Francis (BS Marketing ’01)

ASU W. P. Carey Fall 2021 cover
Overheard on social media
twitter social media icon linkedin social media icon facebook social media icon
Want teamwork? Hear about collaboration from members of the W. P. Carey community on LinkedIn.
Editor’s note: Posts have been edited for length and clarity.
Bernadette Grattan

Blue Linked In Logo Bernadette Grattan (BS Finance ’91)

While I believe some managers care about attendance, I think more care about team collaboration and the success and well-being of the individual.
Seth Friberg

Blue Linked In Logo Seth Friberg (BS Supply Chain Management ’09)

It’s amazing to see the level of collaboration and execution end to end across the supply chain to support such a critical rollout [of COVID-19 vaccines] both nationwide and globally. It’s an exciting time to be working in the pharma supply chain!
Paul Strong
Blue Linked In Logo Paul Strong (MBA ’18)
We have a popular myth of the solo innovator who drives everything forward through their intelligence, creativity, and character. That’s not the case in my experience. The best results happen with great teamwork and partnerships. They happen when everyone feels valued. They happen when people use their skills to complement and work with each other.
Elise Kerner

Blue Linked In Logo Elise Kerner (MBA ’19)

I love seeing that Arizona State University–W. P. Carey School of Business ranks No. 1 business school in teamwork — it is a badge of honor.
Inside WPC
Herbs, garlic, sage, radish, and kale are some of the produce grown at the Brooks Winery Estate Garden
Get a hobby article snapshot
What works with online weight-management platforms article snapshot
Upfront
Features
12
Balancing profit and purpose
Alum who accidentally became wine director and educator sustains her late brother’s winery and its legacy.
16
Get a hobby
There are all sorts of positive effects from pastimes.
22
Joining forces
Read about innovative ways the W. P. Carey community connects with ASU, industries, and the world.
Departments
20
Crunching the numbers
Mapping the W. P. Carey alumni network
30
Research
Behaviors that affect the adoption of climate change-mitigating tools; what works in online weight-management platforms; stories that lead to greater empathy and philanthropic behavior.
36
Class notes
Recognizing the newest inductees in the W. P. Carey Alumni Hall of Fame; Sun Devil’s company brings mobile coronavirus testing to Arizona; meet Golden Reunion graduates from the class of 1970–71.
W. P. Carey logo
W. P. Carey magazine
Volume 9, Issue 2, Spring 2022

Amy L. Ostrom, PhD
Interim Dean, PetSmart Chair
in Services Leadership

Colin Boyd
Executive Director, Marketing
and Communications

Tamara Boaz
Interim Executive Director
of Development

Theresa Shaw
Manager of Alumni Relations

W. P. Carey Alumni
wpcarey.asu.edu/alumni

Facebook
facebook.com/wpcareyschool

LinkedIn
wpcarey.asu.edu/linkedin

Twitter
@WPCareySchool

Managing Editor
Shay Moser

Senior Creative Director
Paula Murray

Staff Contributors
Emily Beach, Perri Collins, Hannah O’Regan, Madeline Sargent, Hunter McCormick, Tiana Morgan

Contributors
Joe Bardin, Melissa Crytzer Fry, Jane Larson, Betsy Loeff, Erin Peterson, David Schwartz, Jennifer Daack Woolson

Photographers
W. Scott Mitchell, Michael Paras, Shelley Valdez

Editorial correspondence should be addressed to:
Managing Editor
W. P. Carey School of Business
Arizona State University
PO Box 872506
Tempe, AZ 85287-2506

Changes of address and other subscription inquiries can be emailed to:
editor.wpcmagazine@asu.edu

W. P. Carey magazine is a publication of the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University © 2022

Send editorial submissions and letters to:
editor.wpcmagazine@asu.edu

Let us know.
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ALL THINGS WPC
Grace O’Sullivan (MBA ’10) is vice president of Corporate Engagement and Strategic Partnerships for ASU’s Knowledge Enterprise.

Collecting lenses for greater understanding

Alumna Grace O’Sullivan says DEI is crucial to examine
Sun Devil Stories Community Engagement
Grace O’Sullivan
Grace O’Sullivan (MBA ’10) is vice president of Corporate Engagement and Strategic Partnerships for ASU’s Knowledge Enterprise.

Collecting lenses for greater understanding

Alumna Grace O’Sullivan says DEI is crucial to examine

Sun Devil Stories Community Engagement
A

s vice president of Corporate Engagement and Strategic Partnerships for ASU’s Knowledge Enterprise, Grace O’Sullivan (MBA ’10) is responsible for advancing high-impact partnerships, and corporate and economic development. She recently joined the W. P. Carey School of Business for a discussion around diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

A second-generation American of Chinese descent, O’Sullivan has always felt somewhat like an outsider. “When I think about inclusion, I reflect on my personal experience. I grew up in a home that spoke only Mandarin Chinese,” she says. “I didn’t learn English until I went to kindergarten.”

O’Sullivan describes examining the lens through which we see inclusion, belonging, and diversity as essential work. “Whether it’s managing yourself or your internal state, your values and beliefs impact how you carry yourself in every situation.”

ALL THINGS WPC

tsmc building

Silicon Valley Southwest

Community Engagement Learning Opportunities
Electrical chip
A

rizona is poised to be at the epicenter of the American semiconductor revolution, with ASU playing a starring role. Last spring, two of the world’s largest chipmakers, Intel and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), announced plans to spend a combined $32 billion building three semiconductor fabrication plants in the Phoenix region. TSMC purchased enough land to possibly build five more fabs, which would invest billions of dollars more.

“Every electronics manufacturing job in Arizona accounts for another five or so jobs in vendors and suppliers,” says Dennis Hoffman, a professor of economics and director of the L. William Seidman Research Institute. “It’s a valuable asset for the state’s economy.”

Visit wpcarey.asu.edu/aznext to learn about W. P. Carey’s collaboration with the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering and New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, which brings together employers, workforce development networks, economic development organizations, and industry partnerships to create a workforce ecosystem to boost the talent pipeline in advanced manufacturing roles.

Future Events

Future Events

Whether hosted on campus, in your hometown, or 100% online, events are a great way to reconnect with fellow alums and your alma mater.

Highlights from the W. P. Carey School’s spring lineup include the Economic Club of Phoenix and a new series of alumni workshops by the team in the W. P. Carey Career Services Center.

Join us! You’ll be glad you did: wpcarey.asu.edu/events

Statue of horses running
ALL THINGS WPC

Employment Report

Full-time MBA Class of 2021
Learning Opportunities Career
A

t the W. P. Carey School of Business, we measure ourselves by who is included and how they succeed. Employment outcomes are used in MBA programs worldwide to understand how career curriculum and programming innovations translate to market relevance and readiness for our students and alumni. These facts and figures also help illustrate what our students go on to accomplish after graduation. Here, we are pleased to highlight the Full-time MBA Class of 2021.

Full-time accepted offers

Full-time accepted offers graphic

Job Function

Operations/Logistics and General Management Graph
Operations/Logistics and General Management roles were up 9% and 2%, respectively, compared to 2020.

ALL THINGS WPC

Meet W. P. Carey’s next dean

Ohad Kadan Headshot

Quick stats

Current role:

Vice dean for education and globalization at Olin Business School, Washington University in St. Louis

PhD:

Finance, Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Interests:

Multidisciplinary collaboration, global business education, data-driven decisions

A

fter an intensive national search process, Arizona State University announced Ohad Kadan as the new dean of the W. P. Carey School of Business. While his role at W. P. Carey officially begins July 1, Kadan is already starting the transition; he is attending several school events this spring, leading strategic planning sessions, and gaining an understanding of the ASU system.

“I am thrilled to be joining W. P. Carey and ASU and am looking forward to the continued growth of an already outstanding school,” says Kadan. “One of the things that most excites me about W. P. Carey is its commitment to inclusive access to worldclass business education.”

Kadan joins W. P. Carey during a crucial period for higher education. “W. P. Carey prides itself on channeling ASU’s spirit of innovation and rethinking what’s next in business education,” he says. “I’m excited to lead the school into emerging areas, while never losing sight of its commitment to student success and cutting-edge research.”

ALL THINGS WPC

Program snapshot: W. P. Carey Executive MBA

Learning Opportunities
E

xecutive MBA programs are known for their ability to propel high-performing, experienced managers into the next stage of their careers. Our EMBA is no different, helping candidates expand their leadership skills and immediately impact their organizations.

The W. P. Carey EMBA is highly ranked by U.S. News & World Report (No. 18), ahead of Yale, Georgetown, and USC; The Economist (No. 23, worldwide); and Poets & Quants (No. 4). Plus, Poets & Quants gave us the top spot for programs costing less than $100,000.

Throughout the two-year program, students develop a strategic perspective and learn how policy shapes business decisions, and how companies half a world away can affect organizations. The EMBA is also STEM-designated, allowing eligible graduates on student visas access to an Optional Practical Training (OPT) extension for up to 36 months.

Executive MBA classes meet on ASU’s Tempe campus for one in-residence weekend per month. The intensive weekend includes classes both Friday and Saturday, with Friday overnight lodging provided. Live virtual course content is also delivered on one additional Saturday per month, for a four-hour time block, allowing students greater flexibility to meet course commitments while still balancing work and life.

Executive MBA alumni receive a lifelong learning benefit, and are invited to attend free elective classes throughout their careers.

“The EMBA program far exceeded my expectations,” says Karen Marshall (Executive MBA ’18). “It gave me the knowledge and confidence to pursue a new and unexpected entrepreneurial career path — a lifelong dream that, until now, I thought was out of reach.”

Visit wpcarey.asu.edu/emba to learn more.

ALL THINGS WPC

Holly Barrett (MBA ’86) and her friend and former Intel colleague Wanjiku Kamau (MBA ’19), attending a Michelle Obama event in Phoenix on Feb. 12, 2019.
Holly Barrett (MBA ’86) and her friend and former Intel colleague Wanjiku Kamau (MBA ’19), attending a Michelle Obama event in Phoenix on Feb. 12, 2019.

Leadership is in the small moments

Alumna and Executive Connections mentor Holly Barrett reminds students that you don’t need a title to lead
Volunteer & Give
Learning Opportunities
Sun Devil Stories
A cornerstone of the W. P. Carey Full-time MBA experience, Executive Connections pairs students with a volunteer group of senior executives who coach mentees as they embark on new career opportunities. Holly Barrett (MBA ’86), chief financial officer for ambulatory and pharmacy services at Phoenix-based hospital system Banner Health, starts by asking students what they want to achieve. “The best way I can assist is by identifying what success means to each student,” she says.

Having tough conversations helps students identify and achieve meaningful professional and personal goals. “There’s a lot of future career questions mentees need to answer honestly for themselves,” says Barrett. “If your career trajectory is based on how other people are going to look at you, you may achieve success, but you may not enjoy it as much as you otherwise would have.”

In her five years as an Executive Connections mentor, Barrett has met many excellent students. “They all have a unique story with varying aspirations,” she says. “Sharing my successful (and unsuccessful) experiences helps them in many ways and, ultimately, I learn from them, too.”

ALL THINGS WPC

Inclusion at W. P. Carey: Full-time MBA students share their perspectives

Sun Devil Stories
Community Engagement
A

t a recent school event, student panelists Chikezie Anachu, Monica Loza, Tamara Kelson-Norris, and Pitu Sim discussed what diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) means to them as they navigate their Full-time MBA experience.

The students have frequent conversations, in both their classes and the various on-campus organizations they lead, on how to enhance DEI efforts at W. P. Carey and beyond. “My conversations with Pitu, Chike, and Tamara have empowered me to step into a leadership role that I wouldn’t have otherwise taken on,” says Loza, who serves as vice president of DEI for the MBA Association at ASU.

Monica Loza Headshot
Monica Loza
Loza also holds leadership roles in the Graduate Hispanic Business Association and Accelerated Leadership for Underrepresented Minorities (ALUM). Attending MBA classes has connected her with like-minded individuals. “Even if you feel like your impact is small, these interactions make a difference down the line.”

Each student has stories about the experiences that led them into leadership positions within ASU. “I looked at my life and saw that it may have been different than someone who doesn’t come from a Hispanic background or isn’t a woman,” says Loza. “I went through the education system, noted the discrepancies, and dreamed about how I could make it better for those who follow in my footsteps.”

ALUM President Kelson-Norris says younger generations are more willing to speak up, “have difficult conversations, and keep the positive momentum and social change going.”

All Things WPC

LIFT off: New diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives transform campus experiences

Community Engagement
Hands holding paper airplanes digital
I

n 2020, ASU President Michael Crow announced a campuswide effort to improve experiences and outcomes for Black and African American members of the ASU community. The LIFT (Listen, Invest, Facilitate, Teach) Initiative began with 25 calls to action to address embedded injustices and structural problems within our institutions and society at large.

Associate Dean of Research and Professor Jeffrey Wilson co-leads the LIFT Initiative, and also heads the W. P. Carey diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) committee. “We have been trying to both listen and act,” he says. “There are things we can do right away and then there are longer-term actions that start right away, but we might not see the outcomes for several years.”

Jeffrey Wilson Headshot
Jeffrey Wilson
So far, W. P. Carey has focused on enhanced student support. Faculty and staff have attended Inclusive Teaching workshops in partnership with ASU’s Center for the Study of Race and Democracy, and the team in the W. P. Carey Career Services Center has hosted a networking event with multicultural organizations and prospective employers. Recruitment is also a focus, and our Graduate Programs Office has offered DEI panel discussions for current and prospective students.

“I’m proud of the early work we have done, invigorated to take the next steps, and cognizant there’s a long way to go,” says Wilson.

Read the ASU LIFT Report: wpcarey.asu.edu/lift

ALL THINGS WPC

The prestige of your degree keeps growing

Learning Opportunities
G

ood news! The value that comes with your W. P. Carey degree keeps growing as the school’s programs continue to ascend in the rankings. In this year’s annual U.S. News & World Report undergraduate rankings, our programs are ranked No. 23, ahead of Johns Hopkins, Purdue, and the University of Arizona. Earlier in the year, U.S. News also released its online degree rankings. W. P. Carey’s online undergraduate programs took the top spot — No. 1, ahead of the University of Florida, Penn State, and Syracuse University.

The school also improved in 10 undergrad department rankings, including jumping to the No. 2 spot in the historically strong supply chain management degree. The undergraduate business analytics program made the top five, making it the top destination for business analytics in the Southwest.

Other key department rankings include:

  • Production operations, No. 7
  • Management information systems, No. 9
  • Quantitative analysis, No. 10
  • Accounting, No. 11
  • Marketing, No. 11
  • Management, No. 15
  • International, No. 16
  • Finance, No. 19
  • Entrepreneurship, No. 32

In total, U.S. News ranks 31 W. P. Carey programs and disciplines among the top 25, the most of any business school in the country.

“We’re very proud of these new rankings, and think they represent the consistent work W. P. Carey is doing to provide students with an excellent business education that readies them for professional success,” says Interim Dean Amy Ostrom. “It is an honor to be recognized by U.S. News and our peer schools as one of the top business schools in the country.”

Visit wpcarey.asu.edu/rankings to discover more top-ranked W. P. Carey degree programs.

ALL THINGS WPC

Olufisayo Abiodun, Mahalakshmi Ganesan, and Tamara Kelson-Norris winning national first place in the Small Business School Challenge
From left: Olufisayo Abiodun, Mahalakshmi Ganesan, and Tamara Kelson-Norris won national first place in the Small Business School Challenge.
From left: Olufisayo Abiodun, Mahalakshmi Ganesan, and Tamara Kelson-Norris won national first place in the Small Business School Challenge.

MBA students hit the road to help small businesses

Sun Devil Stories
Community Engagement
Small businesses provide the innovations and jobs that drive our economy, yet many have been devastated by the coronavirus pandemic. Enter the Small Business School Challenge (SBSC), which tapped top MBA student teams across the country to provide fast, actionable, strategic help in a 48-hour, hackathon-style competition.

The W. P. Carey Class of 2022 MBA team of Olufisayo Abiodun, Tamara Kelson-Norris, and Mahalakshmi Ganesan won national first place.

“This was a chance to put our skills to work on behalf of business owners in need, and develop real strategies for them to survive and thrive in the unusual economic situation facing them right now,” explains Abiodun, a co-president of the W. P. Carey Entrepreneurship Club.

Twenty students represented W. P. Carey at the challenge in September against MBA students from across the country, including UCLA, Washington University, Rice University, Carnegie Mellon University, UC Berkeley, and the University of Washington.

Each team presented a three-minute case study laying out their business client’s challenges and proposed solutions. MBA students were judged on potential effect and how well the strategy could be executed, as well as their communication and presentation skills. Ultimately, their innovative ideas were shared publicly in a database to benefit other businesses in need.

The MBA students also had the opportunity to network with companies, including McKinsey, Bain, Boston Consulting Group, PricewaterhouseCoopers, KPMG, EY-Parthenon, Deloitte, Visa, Amazon, Google, and Walmart.

“The people we supported were sincerely grateful for our expertise and delivery over a short period,” says Abiodun. “This event is very dear to my heart because it involves supporting small businesses. Having run one in my home country, battling the many challenges it posed, I was super excited to integrate into the mission of the SBSC. I’m glad I got several students to sign up for it.”

Looking for MBA talent to elevate your business? Many alumni recruit at W. P. Carey. Visit wpcarey.asu.edu/recruit to learn more.

small business school challenge typography
All Things WPC
illustration of man sitting next to hourglass

“Hey! Do you have a sec?”

Learning Opportunities Career
N

ew research from Michael Baer and David Welsh, associate professors of management and entrepreneurship, weighs in on workplace distractions. Specifically, they ask whether workplace intrusions harm productivity, or if they have some benefits. The answer might surprise you.

While co-workers dropping by out of the blue is often seen as taking time away from work, the study found that some intrusions are beneficial. Specifically, what Baer and Welsh call “in-role” intrusions — when a co-worker comes by to ask about a project or to hand off a task — reengage employees and sometimes lead to enhanced collaboration.

Non-role intrusions, like asking about weekend plans, require greater mental energy to switch between and are more important to limit. Here are some tips for managing intrusions in the workplace.

5 tips for managing intrusions

  1. Be aware that trying to avoid all intrusions may cause you to miss out on meaningful benefits.
  2. Think of work-related intrusions as challenges that motivate you to work harder, rather than unnecessary distractions.
  3. Harness the opportunity that intrusions provide to share information and ideas with co-workers.
  4. If you’re a leader, consider implementing work arrangements that facilitate the work-related intrusions that can energize employees and foster collaboration.
  5. If you’re intruding on others, save your social, non-work topics for breaks.

Explore more W. P. Carey research
W. P. Carey News is your source for faculty research in supply chain management, entrepreneurship, management, analytics, and beyond: news.wpcarey.asu.edu/research

PROFILE WPC
Janie Brooks Heuck

Balancing profit and purpose

Growth and accountability are the fruit of this vine
By JOE BARDIN
O

n paper, Janie Brooks Heuck (BS Accountancy ’89) is an accountant who runs a winery. This may not sound like anything out of the ordinary — but in fact, its origins are worthy of an inspirational drama movie for the big screen, in which a lovely Willamette Valley, Oregon, fledgling winery is at risk of closure, in need of rescue after its eponymous founder’s untimely death. And in this story, Heuck is the heroine.

To be clear, she wasn’t looking for a gig as a managing director of a winery — or even as the finance director. Heuck had been happily ensconced in a corporate finance job in the health care industry. But in 2004, her brother Jimi Brooks passed away, leaving behind the winery that had been his life’s work.

“I was not at all interested in what he was doing,” Heuck recalls, “but the night he passed away, a group of winemakers from the area came to see me. They said they wanted to keep making Jimi’s wine, for free. They asked me to handle the business side.”

WPC lifestyle

Get a hobby

By Jane Larson
T

aking the time to pursue hobbies can have all sorts of positive effects, such as improving your physical and mental health or adding new dimensions to your career. They can offer fun, much-needed breaks from your daily work, and a chance to be successful in another part of life.

Here’s what these W. P. Carey faculty, staff, and alumni do.

Samuelson: Professor and triathlete

Melissa Samuelson
Melissa Samuelson

Melissa Samuelson’s hobby has taught her at least three things: Take one step at a time, prepare as much as you can in advance, and be ready to pivot to reach your goals.

Samuelson, a clinical associate professor of accountancy, started the sports side of her life as a cross-country runner. She took up cycling and swimming as ways to cross-train, which led to becoming a triathlete. She completed her first full Ironman race in November, finishing in 13 hours, 53 minutes.

Teaching ethics courses to undergraduates and competing in triathlons overlap in some ways, Samuelson says. When she has a huge project or a course to plan, she remembers that one step at a time is sometimes the best approach to a challenge. When she talks to students about studying and preparation, she thinks about how she manages her time to create a balance between work and training for a race. When she talks to them about professional goals, she tells them about planning for alternative ways to achieve them.

“Sometimes you’re going to have to pivot, make adjustments,” she says. “You’re going to have to make sure you’re still moving in the same direction, but you might need to do something in a way that you didn’t expect at first.”

Melissa Samuelson crossing the finish line during a triathlon.
Photo by FinisherPix®
WPC crunching the numbers

Measuring what matters:
Alumni, students, and research by the numbers

W. P. Carey School students come from all over the world and are prepared for careers with global impact, no matter which path they choose. They learn from world-renowned faculty who represent six continents and conduct a broad array of research addressing global business challenges. After graduation, students join a network of more than 100,000 W. P. Carey alumni taking their careers and their organizations to the next level. Here’s a quick glance at the numbers.
World Map
Alumni by the numbers
118,033
graduates
170+
alumni chapters around the world
5,604
“Double Devils,” who got both their undergraduate and graduate degrees from W. P. Carey
Taped end-to-end, the diplomas of our 100,000-plus alumni could bridge the widest point of the Grand Canyon — more than 18 miles.
tape illustration
Students by the numbers
18,351
students
16,915
undergraduate students
1,316
MBA and master’s degree students
120
doctoral students
3,774
online students
9,340
non-resident students
6,211
students from underrepresented populations
1,771
international students
1,406
transfer students
1,370
honors-level undergraduate students
Research by the numbers

More than $16 million in research expenditures in 2021

This is spending that goes toward cutting-edge discoveries that help W. P. Carey rethink and reimagine business.

More than $4 million in grant or sponsored research funding in 2021

At W. P. Carey, we are tackling problems and questions important to our communities.

No. 6 in the U.S. for research expenditures in 2021

ASU is No. 6 in the U.S. for total research expenditures among universities without a medical school, according to 2021 HERD survey data.

No. 1 in the U.S., No. 9 in the world for global impact

ASU is ranked best in the nation and ninth in the world by Times Higher Education for advancing the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, including global impact on poverty and hunger, developing solutions for clean water and energy, and promoting gender equality.

All data through Dec. 31, 2021
WPC cover story

Joining forces

Innovative ways the W. P. Carey community connects with ASU, industries, and the world
BY ERIN PETERSON
At the W. P. Carey School, the idea of collaboration isn’t a lofty goal or an empty promise. It’s a practice that’s infused into just about everything the school does.
From Bachelor of Arts concentrations for undergraduates to international partnerships that bring the world to Arizona, W. P. Carey students, faculty, alumni, and administrators are committed to making meaningful connections that benefit everyone. The school measures success not by what it can do by itself but by what it can do by including others, sharing ideas, and working together.

The results? Better-prepared students, more effective programs, and successful research. Here, in the following examples, we show exactly what that looks like — and why it matters.

Students benefit from multiple specialties through BA concentrations …
In the mid-2000s, a handful of administrators within the W. P. Carey School, including Kay Faris, then the undergraduate dean, noticed that not only was there an enormous number of students who wanted to earn business degrees, there also were students clamoring for solid business skills who also wanted to pursue fields outside of business. They didn’t want to focus on business alone; they wanted the skills in addition to the knowledge they could gain in other areas.
WPC Research
“I’ve lived and conducted research in different developing countries and seen the struggles farmers face.”
Research by Alexis Villacis, assistant professor  at the Morrison School of Agribusiness typography
“I’ve lived and conducted research in different developing countries and seen the struggles farmers face.”

Digging into climate change behaviors

R

ising temperatures, unpredictable rains, and other effects of climate change mean agricultural producers face more uncertainty every season than ever before. They also face the challenge of continually adapting to a changing climate to produce enough food to feed an increasing global population.

Cover crops — a crop grown for the protection and enrichment of the soil — show a lot of promise for mitigating climate change: increasing yields, reducing erosion, and improving soil quality. But cover crops are not a solution, says Alexis Villacis, assistant professor at the Morrison School of Agribusiness. Although farmers could add them to their soil management toolbox, many, especially those in the tropics, will not, according to Villacis’ recent research published in the journals Advances in Agronomy and Agricultural Economics.

The farmers’ mindset

The paper, “Potential Use of Cover Crops for Soil and Water Conservation, Nutrient Management, and Climate Change Adaptation Across the Tropics,” looked at the use of cover crops and other tools in developing countries such as Villacis’ native Ecuador. But he and his co-authors have not been just trying to understand whether these crops work to moderate climate change; they have also been digging deeper into farmers’ climate change behaviors.

WPC Research
“Higher levels of self-efficacy mean people feel empowered in their weight-management capabilities.”
Tongxin Zhou, Assistant Professor of Information Systems typography
“Higher levels of self-efficacy mean people feel empowered in their weight-management capabilities.”

What works with online weight-management platforms

A

ccording to the Centers for Disease Control, some 42% of people in the U.S. were at an unhealthy weight in 2018. “Weight management is one of the most popular topics in many online health care communities,” says Tongxin Zhou, assistant professor of information systems. It’s also lucrative, the reason countless online platforms exist to help people who diet find information and digitally track weight-management efforts.

Which activities help site users the most? Zhou and her colleagues, Lu Yan at the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University and Yingfei Wang and Yong Tan at the University of Washington Foster School of Business, conducted research using data from an online weight-management platform and found that people who are successful at dieting do more than track what they weigh. They also pay attention to the activities that make weight management possible.

On the record

“Health management involves a lot of behavior change,” Zhou says. “If you think about how people achieve weight loss, they often need to record their calorie intake and expenditures and put restrictions on their routines.”

WPC Research
“Leaders need to be able to communicate a vision in a way that creates change. Personal narratives can make a case for change.”
Ned Wellman, Professor of Management and Entrepreneurship typography
“Leaders need to be able to communicate a vision in a way that creates change. Personal narratives can make a case for change.”

Personal stories inspire greater giving

F

ourth-generation almond grower James Duncan is worried about the future of his farm in Red Lake Valley, Arizona.

“I take pride in my work and have been a farmer for over 20 years. But we farm on the margin already. I’m not sure how much more we can take,” Duncan says of the megadrought that has plagued the Southwest and is expected to worsen, bringing with it water rationing, the proposed elimination of generational water rights, and rising water costs. “This farm is my life. Losing it would be like losing a part of my family.”

Duncan is fictitious, though his situation is not. His story — and the way it is told — was the focus of an interdisciplinary study between W. P. Carey Associate Professor of Management and Entrepreneurship Ned Wellman and Emeritus Professor of Information Systems Ajay Vinze, as well as ASU’s Erik Johnston at the School for the Future of Innovation in Society and Elizabeth Segal at the School of Social Work.

4 business leaders from diverse organizations join 96 alumni since inaugural event in 1977

Newest business alumni inducted into W. P. Carey Hall of Fame

A

national radio host, a grocery chain CEO, a financial and accounting senior executive, and the CEO and co-founder of an innovative coaching firm are the newest W. P. Carey Alumni Hall of Fame inductees. Previous inductees come from such diverse organizations as Merck, the New York Giants, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, and the Big Ten Conference.

The Alumni Hall of Fame celebrates honorees for their significant contributions to their professions, the community, and the W. P. Carey School of Business. It also shows students they can look forward to a successful future with a high-quality education, commitment, and hard work.

The 44th annual W. P. Carey Alumni Hall of Fame induction ceremony in October honored these 2021 inductees.

WPC Class Notes

Coronavirus testing goes mobile in Arizona

simple illustrations of a timer, a testing swab and germs
D

avid Bocchino (MS-BA ’15) had hit rock bottom. On an early June day last year, he was ordered by his boss in Texas to close the offshoot COVID-19 testing business he had forged in Arizona and come back. The pandemic had waned, and the economics could no longer support the expansion.

But Bocchino wasn’t ready to quit. He went out on his own, deciding to ditch any physical locations and bring the testing to those in need across metropolitan Phoenix. He answered every call on his cellphone, did every test, and worked 14-hour days seven days a week.

Then came the Delta variant. Then, Omicron dominated. The 35-year-old hasn’t looked back.

“I guess you can say that being told to shut down the business was the best thing for the business,” says Bocchino, owner and founder of RX Rapid Testing in Arizona.

D

avid Bocchino (MS-BA ’15) had hit rock bottom. On an early June day last year, he was ordered by his boss in Texas to close the offshoot COVID-19 testing business he had forged in Arizona and come back. The pandemic had waned, and the economics could no longer support the expansion.

But Bocchino wasn’t ready to quit. He went out on his own, deciding to ditch any physical locations and bring the testing to those in need across metropolitan Phoenix. He answered every call on his cellphone, did every test, and worked 14-hour days seven days a week.

Then came the Delta variant. Then, Omicron dominated. The 35-year-old hasn’t looked back.

“I guess you can say that being told to shut down the business was the best thing for the business,” says Bocchino, owner and founder of RX Rapid Testing in Arizona.

simple illustrations of a timer, a testing swab and germs
It wasn’t the way it was envisioned when a recently unemployed Bocchino started in the business, finding out that friends were looking for people to work at pop-up testing sites fashioned from storage units that were plunked down on roadside spots in Texas. The idea was to grab some holiday cash and move on to the “next great idea.”

A few weeks later, he and another person did $10,000 in tests in a single day at a single location. “That was the moment when I thought, ‘Wow, this is a good idea,’ ” he says.

Bocchino says he did so well he was offered the opportunity to go off on his own, wherever he wanted. There was never a doubt: He chose the place where he received his master’s degree, making the journey in his 2010 Acura packed with one suitcase, about 400 COVID-19 tests and high hopes for a profitable future.

He soon landed the lease for his first testing site after contacting a commercial real estate agent with a hastily prepared proposal. A deal was struck, and he was on his way.

Arizona had what his business model needed — a large population, great climate, and a large influx of travelers to attend events such as the Phoenix Open and spring training games. Not to mention Canadians with second homes in Arizona.

Bocchino, who now has five employees, says he built the fledgling business from scratch, from creating Google ads to developing a clean, easy-to-use website, to branding and marketing, all while keeping a close eye on the competition. At one time, he had two locations before going to strictly mobile testing.

He says a key has been to quickly adapt to changing conditions in these times of COVID-19, following the motto in business and life to “make it as easy as possible for the other person to say yes.” Good customer service is a mainstay.

From the start, Bocchino’s formula for success has been about availability and speed.

“People don’t have time to waste,” says Bocchino, who charges $100–$300, depending on the test. “I can book an appointment within two hours and provide an answer in 20 minutes. It’s a niche in the market that people need and seek out.

“The rewarding part for me is that a year ago, I was testing in a pod for $18 an hour and now I own the company.”

WPC Class Notes

1950s

Darrell Sawyer (BS Management ’57) became a licensed pilot at 17, going on to become one of Arizona’s top aviation leaders. During the Korean War, he served in the Air Force as an F-86 mechanic. He gave flying lessons at Phoenix-area airports until 1961 when he borrowed enough seed money to launch The Sawyer School of Aviation at Deer Valley Airport (later changed to Sawyer Aviation), including aircraft sales, maintenance, and charter flying. He founded AirEvac with Good Samaritan Hospital. In March 1979 he moved his growing business to larger facilities at Sky Harbor Airport, and in 2000 sold it to Swift Aviation. Sawyer was inducted into the W. P. Carey Alumni Hall of Fame in 1980.

1960s

Alvin Bender (BS Accountancy ’63) is a certified public accountant in Phoenix who helps local taxpayers and small business owners in tax filing preparation.

Gary Johnson (BS Economics ’68) is the director of marketing at the Law Offices of Glynn Gilcrease in Tempe, Ariz.

Juliann Trump (BS Business Administration ’69) is a teacher in the Scottsdale Unified School District. She also serves as a DECA advisor, sharing access to resources to enhance the classroom experience, bringing learning to life, and motivating students.

In Memoriam

Headshot of Wayne Doran
Wayne S. Doran (BS Economics ’56) arrived at ASU in August 1952, the first person in his family to attend college.

After graduating, Doran began a career in land development, becoming chief executive of Ford Land when it formed in 1970. He devoted three decades to the automaker, serving as vice president of Ford Motor Company until he retired in January 2001.

Doran died on Feb. 10 at the age of 87, but his legacy lives on at ASU. After a successful career, Doran was committed to the advancement of education and helping students achieve their dreams of higher education. His philanthropic spirit focused on ASU, where he gained the knowledge necessary to succeed.

Doran served as an ASU trustee and an ASU Foundation board chairman. He was inducted into the W. P. Carey Alumni Hall of Fame, was a lifetime member of the ASU Alumni Association, and was named an Outstanding Alumnus in 1978. He and his wife were also members of the ASU Foundation’s Leadership Society.

Herbert M. Robertson (BS Finance ’62) He was a retired U.S. Navy commander. Robertson made a generous planned gift in 2013 to support the Department of Finance, making him the largest contributor through the Herbert M. Robertson Support for W. P. Carey Finance donor fund.

2014

Isabella A. Resor
MACC

2013

Michael C. Zunino
BS Marketing

2012

Brandon C. Maxwell
MBA

2011

Brian A. Laesch
MBA

2009

Brent A. Lacey
MBA

2008

Kristin L. Johnson
MBA

2004

Daniel L. Broadbent
BS Accountancy

2000

Jon C. Agers
MBA

1997

Richard W. Barbar
MBA

Jason M. Lutz
BS Finance

1958

James Ronald Grimm
BS Accountancy
W. P. Carey Hall of Fame

Headshot of Wayne Doran
Wayne S. Doran (BS Economics ’56) arrived at ASU in August 1952, the first person in his family to attend college.

After graduating, Doran began a career in land development, becoming chief executive of Ford Land when it formed in 1970. He devoted three decades to the automaker, serving as vice president of Ford Motor Company until he retired in January 2001.

Doran died on Feb. 10 at the age of 87, but his legacy lives on at ASU. After a successful career, Doran was committed to the advancement of education and helping students achieve their dreams of higher education. His philanthropic spirit focused on ASU, where he gained the knowledge necessary to succeed.

Doran served as an ASU trustee and an ASU Foundation board chairman. He was inducted into the W. P. Carey Alumni Hall of Fame, was a lifetime member of the ASU Alumni Association, and was named an Outstanding Alumnus in 1978. He and his wife were also members of the ASU Foundation’s Leadership Society.

Herbert M. Robertson (BS Finance ’62) He was a retired U.S. Navy commander. Robertson made a generous planned gift in 2013 to support the Department of Finance, making him the largest contributor through the Herbert M. Robertson Support for W. P. Carey Finance donor fund.

2014

Isabella A. Resor
MACC

2013

Michael C. Zunino
BS Marketing

2012

Brandon C. Maxwell
MBA

2011

Brian A. Laesch
MBA

2009

Brent A. Lacey
MBA

2008

Kristin L. Johnson
MBA

2004

Daniel L. Broadbent
BS Accountancy

2000

Jon C. Agers
MBA

1997

Richard W. Barbar
MBA

Jason M. Lutz
BS Finance

1958

James Ronald Grimm
BS Accountancy
W. P. Carey Hall of Fame

WPC Just for fun

5 ASU deans share the business tools they can’t work without

Deans across ASU have lengthy to-do lists. For this reason, some of them rely on business tools that suit their management style, the way they work, and how they prefer to communicate with faculty, staff, students, and alumni. We asked them to share the business tools they can’t live without and why.
Cynthia Lietz

Dean of the Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions and President’s Professor in the School of Social Work

My most important office items are my table and chairs, because relationship-building is the most important part of leadership. These days, that means my webcam has become essential in our Zoomland.
Amy Ostrom

Interim Dean and PetSmart Chair in Services Leadership at the W. P. Carey School of Business

LinkedIn is my favorite business tool. It helps me stay connected to our alumni and see how they are advancing in their careers. It also helps me learn about how individuals and companies are innovating in a variety of industries and settings.
Kyle Squires

Dean of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering

Dropbox and Teams cloud-based platforms allow me to collaborate with my team in real time on documents and presentations. Zoom has become an essential tool in staying connected with internal and external partners. Outlook Tasks helps track the many projects and needs that cross my desk on a daily (or hourly) basis. One facet that’s common across all of these tools is that they work well across different platforms, from the phone to the laptop to the desktop.
Thomas Sugar

Professor and associate dean of The Honors College at ASU Polytechnic

I cannot live without two monitors for my laptop computer. It is a must when working through reports, spreadsheets, and documents. Also, I always use Matlab software for modeling data for classes, journal papers, and designing robots.
Steven Tepper

Professor and dean of the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts

The most important business tool I can’t live without is the “delete” button on my keyboard. Actually, it’s the Poetry Foundation’s Poetry App, which populates poems based on any two words/themes you put together (including random pairings). To be an effective leader, you need to keep your brain open and elastic. It’s too easy to adopt a managerial mindset, following a set-up mental algorithm for making decisions. I need creativity prompts throughout the day to keep me fresh and in an open and imaginative space.

5 ASU deans share the business tools they can’t work without

Deans across ASU have lengthy to-do lists. For this reason, some of them rely on business tools that suit their management style, the way they work, and how they prefer to communicate with faculty, staff, students, and alumni. We asked them to share the business tools they can’t live without and why.
Cynthia Lietz

Dean of the Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions and President’s Professor in the School of Social Work

My most important office items are my table and chairs, because relationship-building is the most important part of leadership. These days, that means my webcam has become essential in our Zoomland.
Amy Ostrom

Interim Dean and PetSmart Chair in Services Leadership at the W. P. Carey School of Business

LinkedIn is my favorite business tool. It helps me stay connected to our alumni and see how they are advancing in their careers. It also helps me learn about how individuals and companies are innovating in a variety of industries and settings.
Kyle Squires

Dean of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering

Dropbox and Teams cloud-based platforms allow me to collaborate with my team in real time on documents and presentations. Zoom has become an essential tool in staying connected with internal and external partners. Outlook Tasks helps track the many projects and needs that cross my desk on a daily (or hourly) basis. One facet that’s common across all of these tools is that they work well across different platforms, from the phone to the laptop to the desktop.
Thomas Sugar

Professor and associate dean of The Honors College at ASU Polytechnic

I cannot live without two monitors for my laptop computer. It is a must when working through reports, spreadsheets, and documents. Also, I always use Matlab software for modeling data for classes, journal papers, and designing robots.
Steven Tepper

Professor and dean of the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts

The most important business tool I can’t live without is the “delete” button on my keyboard. Actually, it’s the Poetry Foundation’s Poetry App, which populates poems based on any two words/themes you put together (including random pairings). To be an effective leader, you need to keep your brain open and elastic. It’s too easy to adopt a managerial mindset, following a set-up mental algorithm for making decisions. I need creativity prompts throughout the day to keep me fresh and in an open and imaginative space.
Student on bike

Greetings from your alma mater.

A lot has changed since ASU’s W. P. Carey School of Business gained official college status in 1955. What’s new in your life and career? From business wins and insights to everything in between, sharing Class Notes in W. P. Carey magazine is a great way to stay in touch with your community. Stop by and drop us a line! We’d love to hear from you.
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Thanks for reading our spring 2022 issue!