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Campus Operating Status: The university is open and operating, and classes are proceeding on a normal schedule.

Inaugural Professional Development Conference

Thursday, June 23, 2022 at 8:30 am - 1:00 pm

Location: Law School Building
The goal of RSBC’s Inaugural Professional Development Conference is to provide high-quality professional development, engage in knowledge sharing, and establish meaningful relationships between Rutgers School of Business-Camden professors and staff, private- and public-school educators, the business and non-profit communities, and residents of the City of Camden. Certificates of Attendance will be provided to registered conference attendees at the end of the conference.  

Schedule

8:30 – 9:00 AM Registration, Networking, and Continental Breakfast

9:00 – 9:20 AM Welcome and General Program Overview, Dr. Monica Adya, Dean, School of Business–Camden


9:30 – 10:30 AM Professional Development Session I

Twenty-three hundred years ago, Alexander the Great said, “I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep; I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion.” Such is the importance of leadership. What is leadership? Are leaders born or can leadership be learned? These questions have been asked since the time of Alexander. Leaders know what needs to be done and how to do it. The issue is how they get followers to follow and not just to follow, but to throw themselves whole heartedly into getting the job done, whatever that is. Leadership is a complex two-way relationship. It is not just about what the leader wants or expects. It is also about what followers want and expect. This session examines leadership and discusses practical steps for developing and exercising leadership.

Most organizations espouse lofty commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), yet many employees lack foundational understanding of key DEI issues and feel ill-equipped to effectively realize many DEI goals. This interactive seminar will review foundational DEI concepts and issues and provide attendees with some evidence-based strategies of how to manage some common DEI issues.


10:45 – 11:45 AM Professional Development Session 2

This interactive session focuses on discovering opportunities for your stakeholders by reframing existing problems. We will begin with a review of the design thinking process and discuss human-centered approaches to engaging stakeholders in development of value driven solutions. Then, we will dive into reframe a problem, identified by session participants, into a strategic opportunity using visual-based tools to examine further. Throughout this session, participants will develop an understanding of design thinking, various tools for reframing problems into opportunities, and a collaborative approach to identifying solutions addressing your “customer’s” needs in unique and interesting ways. 

The purpose of the session is to provide attendees with the key elements needed to start a successful business. Topics will include financing, business planning, marketing, and navigating through federal, state, and local government requirements. The session will provide real examples and reasons for successful and failed businesses. The session will also challenge attendees to reflect on their strengths and weaknesses, which have an impact on the success of their entrepreneurial ventures.  


12:00 – 1:00 PM Plenary Session, Lunch, and Networking

Panelists: Dr. Monica Adya and Dr. Oscar Holmes IV
Moderator:
Kandace Diedrick, MPA, Assistant Dean of Undergradate Programs
In this closing session, attendees will hear from RSBC Dean and Associate Deans as they discuss a myriad of topics around educating tomorrow’s business leaders. Attendees are encouraged to join the conversation by asking the panelists questions and commenting with their own insights. 

Registration Fee:
$20 / 
$30 after June 6

Presenters' Bios

Dr. Monica Adya (monica.adya@rutgers.edu) serves as the Dean of the Rutgers School of Business–Camden. She is a skilled administrator and a noted scholar in information systems. Her research interests include participation and experiences of girls and women in information technology careers. She also conducts research on decision systems with an emphasis on forecasting support systems. Prior to serving as Dean, Dr. Adya served as Chair of the Management department at Marquette University’s College of Business, where she served on the faculty since 2002. She received her PhD in Management Information Systems from The Weatherhead School of Management, Case Western Reserve University, an MS in Computer Systems Management from Creighton University, and a Bachelor’s in Commerce from Shri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi University. Dr. Adya has received international recognition for her pedagogical innovations. She has served as the Associate Editor for premier journals in her field and has received grants to support her teaching and research from various organizations, such as 3M Foundation and Naval Surface Warfare Center. 

Dr. Oscar Holmes IV (Oscar.HolmesIV@rutgers.edu) is the Associate Dean of Undergraduate Programs, an Associate Professor of Management, Faculty Director of the SEED office, and the Rutgers University Student Executive (RUSE) Director at Rutgers School of Business-Camden where he has taught executive education, graduate, and undergraduate courses in Leadership, Organizational Behavior, Conflict Management and Negotiation, and Crisis Management. His research examines how leaders can maximize productivity and well-being through fostering more inclusive environments and has been published in several top-tier management journals and books. He earned a Ph.D. and M.A. in Management from The University of Alabama, M.L.A. from The University of Richmond and a B.S. with honors from Virginia Commonwealth University. He has won numerous awards for his leadership, scholarship, and teaching such as being named one of Philadelphia Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 and Diversity Leaders in Business honorees, Philadelphia Tribune Top 10 Under 40 Most Influential African Americans to Watch, and Poets & Quants 40 Under 40 Best Business School Professors. In addition to his scholarship being covered in various news outlets, he is a highly sought-after speaker, organizational consultant, and has made a number of media appearances that include TEDx, Huffington Post Live, television, and radio interviews. 

Kandace Diedrick, MPA, (kandace.diedrick@rutgers.edu) is Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Programs at Rutgers School of Business–Camden with over ten years of experience working in higher education. She began her career path while an undergraduate at Rutgers–Camden working with a federally funded non-profit college preparatory program offered in partnership with Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ. Her desire to assist students with becoming more aware of their passion, abilities, and career goals led her to work at Kean University, Union, NJ, as a pre-college Academic Counselor and Program Coordinator for first-generation college applicants.

As Assistant Dean, Kandace assists students in identifying, refining, setting, and pursuing their academic and professional goals and manages a team of professional academic advisors. She also teaches Professional Skills Forum & Career Development courses as a part-time lecturer and coordinates workshops on diverse topics relevant to student development outside of the classroom. Kandace serves on various campus and university-wide committees and has a strong interest in building programs that promote student persistence toward degree completion, leadership engagement, and emotional development. Kandace’s advising philosophy is to create intentionally meaningful interactions with students by fostering an inclusive environment that encourages students to set goals, face challenges, and pursue greatness.

Carla Mandell (carla.mandell@rutgers.edu) is a hybrid thinker, where design thinking and strategy blends with business practice. She brings a diverse background in accounting, non-profit planning & program development, event management, as well as project & data management. Her career in higher education where she focuses on continuous improvement processes and supporting students with professional skill development and experiential learning opportunities. Currently, Carla is working on her dissertation – Connecting Value for Business Schools, using design thinking to uncover stakeholder value perceptions and develop plans of action to bring value to learners. Carla is a retired CPA and holds certificates in Professional Meeting Planning and Online Teaching. 

Bob Palumbo (rfp21@rutgers.edu) has over twenty years’ experience counseling and training nascent entrepreneurs and established businesses. Helping small businesses succeed has been his passion and he has been recognized for his efforts receiving the Rutgers 2020 community outreach award, several county service proclamations, the 2018 SBDC State Award for excellence and the 2021 SBDC Collaborative Spirit award. His expertise as a Rutgers class guest speaker has inspired Rutgers’s students to pursue their dreams in entrepreneurship. Bob’s private sector experience within the disciplines of finance and operations is diverse having worked in service, manufacturing and distribution sectors including small businesses and large corporations. Bob owned his own small video production company filming dance recitals and school plays. He has a BA Degree in accounting from Rutgers University and an MBA from Philadelphia University.

Prof. David E. Vance (dvance@camden.rutgers.edu) is a Clinical Assistant Professor at Rutgers University School of Business Camden. He received his BS in physics from Rutgers University, his MBA from Drexel University and his JD from Rutgers University School of Law Camden. He has been a Naval Officer, CPA, corporate controller, Chief Financial Officer and a trial attorney. He is the author of five textbooks including Corporate Restructuring; Raising Capital; Business Essentials; Ratios for Analysis, Control and Profit Planning; and Financial Analysis and Decision Making. Financial Analysis and Decision Making has been translated into Chinese. He is also the author of more than a dozen peer reviewed journal articles, several of which have won awards. His research interests include(i) corporate restructuring, (ii) raising capital, (iii) data analytics and (iii) regulation reform.

Proof of Vaccine or Negative PCR Test

  • ALL event attendees must provide proof of vaccination or negative PCR Test from a test taken no more than 72 hours before the event when entering an event.
  • Face coverings are required in all Rutgers buildings.

Directions and Parking

Free parking is available at the Law School Parking Lot (C2) – 501 Penn Street, Camden, NJ 08102.

Guests must register their vehicle with link provided below:  https://rudots.nupark.com/v2/portal/eventregister/e66c104a-95a3-438e-885d-0fe7bd2bd994#/events/registration/

Once parked, please enter through the main entrance of the Law School Building.

For additional questions or concerns, please open a new case through our DOTSHelp portal, https://dotshelp.rutgers.edu

Contact Information

If you have any questions, please contact:
Carla Mandell, Project and Data Manager, Student Engagement, Empowerment, & Development Office
carla.mandell@rutgers.edu
856-225-6773

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BLDP Executive Shadowing Application v2

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If I am chosen and matched with an executive, I will follow through and prepare a one-page report giving honest feedback about the experience. The written summary is due by the start of the next semester. By typing my name in the box to the right I am offering my digital signature in lieu of my handwritten signature.

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BLDP Application

The Spring 2023 Application is now open! 

Priority will be given to applications received by November 18. Applications are accepted until all seats are filled. Space is limited, so apply early!

The seminar application process is our gateway for entry into the program. Upon acceptance into BLDP, students will be emailed their acceptance letter plus a special permission number allowing registration for the BLDP seminar.

Requirements

Seminar applications are solicited each semester and require the following:

  1. Completed application form (at the bottom of this page),
  2. For students with GPA 3.0 – 3.49, two (2) letters of recommendation (one academic; one other)

Rutgers-Camden students are invited to apply to apply for enrollment in the BLDP seminar. All applicants are expected to meet both of the following selection criteria:  (1) have sophomore standing or above and (2) have an overall GPA of 3.0 or above. First-semester transfer students will be evaluated based on their GPA earned at Rutgers. Students who fail to meet these admission criteria may still be allowed to apply for (and possibly enroll in) the BLDP seminar, but they will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

The director balances evaluations to make final decisions on people accepted for the seminar (up to a maximum of 15-20 each semester).

Students who are admitted to the BDLP are required to adopt the BLDP Code of Conduct. A signed contract is required from each student.

Students may count activities toward “leadership units” that were initiated prior to taking a seminar, as long as those activities occured primarily during their enrollment in their academic program.

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