Since our charter class graduated more than 25 years ago, alumni
from the UC Davis Graduate School of Management have been making
their presence known around the world.
Our graduates are CEOs, vice presidents, chief financial
officers, chief operating officers and entrepreneurs. Around the
globe, they have taken prominent roles as international business
leaders in a wide range of industries and organizations.
Graduate School of Management alumni are actively involved in
their communities, and they make time for mentoring, advising and
assisting current students and networking with fellow graduates.
Don’t Blink! The Hazards of Confidence
This article cites Professor Brad Barber’s recent research showing that, on average, the most active traders had the poorest results, while those who traded the least earned the highest returns. In another paper, “Boys Will Be Boys,” Barber and colleague Terry Odean reported that men act on their useless ideas significantly more often than women do, and that as a result women achieve better investment results than men.
UC Davis, Chinese company form major genetics research partnership
In a potentially huge boost for Sacramento’s technology industry, UC Davis is embarking on a major partnership with one of the world’s leading genetics researchers. The university’s partnership with BGI, a research institute from Shenzhen, China, could help turn the Sacramento area into a hub for pharmaceutical and agricultural biotech companies – a status community leaders have been craving for years.
The NSF I-Corps Is Turning Scientists Into Savvy Entrepreneurs
Vaccine from tobacco: Big Bang! Business Plan Competition 2010 winner, Inserogen, is highlighted: “One team from UC Davis has developed a method to quickly grow and extract vaccines from tobacco plant leaves. Using the leaves, the team can grow a full-fledged vaccine in just six weeks, at a cheaper cost that traditional production methods, which usually involves extracting vaccines from fluid in chicken eggs.”
The CEO’s Role in Fixing the System
Dean Steven Currall and Bill Jesse, the vice chairman of the Wine Group, the second largest wine company in the world, offer a model for focusing executives on creating long-term sustainable value vs. other “toxic” compensation plans that focus on short-term rewards.
Wineries Warming up to Social Media
“Wineries have come off the [social media] sidelines in 2011,” says Jeremy Benson, president of the Napa- and New York City-based Benson Marketing Group. “We’ve added eight brands to our new Mission Control social media service.” Benson will be an expert guest speaker at the UC Davis Wine Executive Program in March.
Behavior of Individual Investors: To Err Is Human
This article reports Professor Brad Barber’s latest research, conducted with Terrance Odean of UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, which finds that individual investors do not behave rationally, as economic theory would suggest. The bottom line: “Investors who don’t know they perform poorly end up believing that they’re doing well — the incompetent are unaware.”
Trading the World Away … the Rot at the Core of Markets
Day traders generally trade too much and take too many risks.
This article cites a 2006 study led by Professor Brad Barber that analyzed the trading record for Taiwan’s stock exchange for four years in the 1990s. They found that, in a typical six-month period, “more than eight out of 10 day traders lose money” and that total losses were staggering: 2.2 percent of Taiwanese GDP annually.
MBA Students Go Fishing in the Cheapest Ponds
GSM alumni Jake Taylor and Lonnie Rush, lecturers who teach Value Investing, had students wrap up the course by submitting their top investment picks to a year-long portfolio contest. They found 512 stocks selling for less than net current asset value and 212 selling below ⅔ of net current asset value. Read more about this investing approach.
Ethically Inclined
The UC Davis MBA program was again ranked among top 10 percent worldwide for commitment to social, ethical and environmental issues in curriculum. Check out the Aspen Institute Center for Business Education’s Beyond Grey Pinstripes rankings.
Wine Grape Harvest Shows Signs of Shortage
Professor Emeritus Robert Smiley comments on his annual state of the wine business: “Going forward, consumers will likely see fewer wine discounts” on California wines because of the shortage in the crop. “If you don’t have enough product to meet demand, why cut price? You’re going to see the industry’s pricing tighten up.
What Lessons from Solyndra?
In the rush to politicize the bankruptcy of Solyndra, potentially valuable lessons are being ignored. When the dust settles, says Professor Andrew Hargadon, we are left with the original challenge of how to best pursue innovative solutions to climate change and energy security.
Got Wine Cap?
Alumnus Tim Keller’s high-tech wine cap start-up is featured in this Sacramento Bee column. Keller founded the company while MBA student; it won the 2008 Big Bang! Business Plan Competition as Advance Enological Enclosures.
Economy, Weather Put Squeeze on Wine Grape Supply
The sluggish economy and unusually cool weather have dramatically tightened the supply of wine grapes, a situation that will likely continue for several years, reports Professor Emeritus Robert Smiley. He presented findings from two recent surveys of wine industry professionals and executives at the 20th annual Wine Industry Financial Symposium in Napa, Calif.
Why Market Timing Is a Joke
This Motley Fool article mentions research by Professor Brad Barber and Terrance Odean of UC Berkeley that concludes that “trading is hazardous to your wealth.”
Kurtzig’s Return Highlights Women’s Lack of Progress in Tech
Sandra Kurtzig founded ASK Corp. almost 40 years ago. Now she’s taking the helm of a new start-up — and is amazed how few women leaders she sees in Silicon Valley. ”We tend to hire people like us,” explains Wendy Beecham, managing director of executive education at the Graduate School of Management, which publishes an annual Census of California Women Business Leaders. “If you’re a 50-year-old white guy, you tend to be more comfortable with 50-year-old white guys.”
Our Green Street Cred
Sierra magazine’s fifth annual ranking places UC Davis among the Top 10 of “the nation’s most planet-minded universities.”
The Next Economy
Dean Steven Currall led a panel of experts on emerging economic opportunities at the Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce’s State-of-the-Region forum.
Apple without Jobs
Professor Andrew Hargadon notes that Steve Jobs’ brilliance lay in keeping Apple “from doing all the possible things out there to do.”
Regional Collaborative to Grow Economy
At the Sacramento Metro Chamber’s annual State of the Region Forum, Dean Steven Currall will guide an industry panel looking at key industry sectors that can lead the way in a regional economic recovery. Currall’s insight into innovation and emerging technologies has been quoted in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and The Economist.
Big Vision, Big Investment
Bloo Solar, which took second place in the 2005 Big Bang! Business Plan Competition, has closed an $8 mil. round of VC financing as it prepares to start manufacturing “third-generation” solar panels based on UC Davis nanotechnology.