While it’s always great to get letters and written updates from SMS alumni, it’s even more fun to get to see them in their real world job environment. That’s what happened when Julie Ebersold of the SMSU Alumni Office organized a hospitality trip to St. Louis with several representatives from the College of Business this past May. SMSU representatives, including Dean Ronald Bottin and Dr. Robert Luke, met with several of the SMS COBA alum currently working for Boeing Corporation. Students were given an update on SMS and then vied for raffled SMS gift items.

"I truly believe it was the exceptional education that I received at SMSU COBA that allowed me to get my foot in the door at Boeing." Tony Lounsbery

Among the group were two recent Marketing grads, Tony Lounsbery, who graduated in December 2000, and Nicole Holdmeier, a December 2002 Marketing graduate and May 2004 MBA graduate. Says Lounsbery, “I truly believe it was the exceptional education that I received at SMSU COBA that allowed me to get my foot in the door at Boeing. Ultimately it was my Marketing degree that prepared me for the high stakes world of government contract negotiations.”

Holdmeier adds, “I have to say I really miss the Marketing Department professors. I had a lot of fun working there [as a graduate assistant] and they are the reason I speak so highly of SMSU.” She currently does material cost management in the Finance Department.    

Pictured are SMSU COBA alumni, employees of Boeing. Lounsbery is pictured behind and to the right of Dean Bottin and Holdmeier is the last person on the right.

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An interesting side note? These two marketing alumni (pictured with their other SMS- Boeing counterparts) had never met each other before the SMS sponsored reception.

 

 

COBA Recognized by Princeton Review
The College of Business Administration has been listed as one of the “Best Business Schools” in the Princeton Review 2006 Edition. Only 143 schools, primarily from the US, are listed.   

According to Jeanne Krier, publicist for Princeton Review, “Best Business Schools” rates schools in 11 categories including best overall academic experience, best career perspectives, best professors, most competitive students, most family friendly, best campus environment, best campus facilities, most admired, greatest opportunities for minority students, greatest opportunities for women and toughest to get into. 

All categories, with the exception of toughest to get into, are rated by current students and alumni. Furthermore, to be selected for the review, schools have to already be accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Only ten percent of the schools in the country have that accreditation. 

SMSU currently has the largest business program of all business schools in Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas, Oklahoma and Iowa says COBA Dean, Ronald Bottin. He goes on to add, “This recognition is a result of the hard work of our faculty and staff over the years. What they have done shows why current students and alumni think so highly of the program.” 

SMSU has also been named to Princeton Review’s book, Colleges with a Conscience: 81 Great Schools with Outstanding Community Involvement this year. SMS is the only Missouri university to earn a profile in the book. This publication became available in bookstores nationwide June 21.