Business & Entrepreneurship

Eleven semi-finalists remain in the field for the 2005 Olin Cup Entrepreneur Competition — including four student-owned ventures. Judges will select the finalists on Thursday, Oct. 6 at 5 p.m. at a networking event which is open to the public. The event will be in Simon Hall’s May Auditorium on Washington University’s campus. Kevin McGowan, principal and co-founder of McGowan Walsh Historic Renovators, is the featured speaker.

A giant metal cup, standing five feet tall, four feet in diameter and weighing 1500 pounds will be moved into its new home.The cup is actually a giant replication of a “Ding” and is a gift from alumni of the Olin School of Business’ Executive M.B.A. – Shanghai program

Washington University in St. Louis’ Olin School of Business will get a Ding September 30 — and that’s good news. A Ding is part of a set of ceremonial bronze vessels, which historically came in a variety of shapes and were used for carrying food and wine. The Ding that the Olin School of Business will receive is five feet tall, four feet in diameter, and weighs 1500 pounds. The gift is a reproduction of the Da Ke Ding from King Xiao’s reign in the 10th Century B.C., which resides in the Shanghai Museum. The EMBA-Shanghai alumni are donating the Ding as a symbol of the strong ties they have to Washington University. The dedication takes place at 5 p.m. on Sept. 30 in the Knight Center courtyard on the Washington University Hilltop campus.

De SotoNonpartisan promotion of public service and volunteerism is the goal of the new Gephardt Institute, which is being formally introduced on campus Sept. 19 with major event.

Over the past five years, corporate governance has undergone historic changes. In addition to new policies enacted by state judiciaries and attorneys general, Congress adopted the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission enacted important securities law reforms, and the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ reformed listing standards. The world’s leading experts on corporate governance will come together to discuss the impact of these changes during a conference at Washington University in St. Louis Sept. 29 – Oct. 1.

It will feature remarks by Richard Gephardt, a keynote lecture by internationally renowned economist Hernando de Soto and a reception.

The Weidenbaum Center on the Economy, Government, and Public Policy will kick off its fall forum series with a half-day symposium on “Taxing Temptation: Excise Taxes and Health” from 9 a.m.-noon Sept. 23 in the Bryan Cave Moot Courtroom in Anheuser-Busch Hall. The series, which is free and open to the public, also includes forums on education finance (Nov. 4) and monetary policy (Nov. 30).

Below is a link to the Washington University news release about the U.S. News & World Report undergraduate rankings for 2004-05: http://news-info.wustl.edu/news/page/normal/3627.html To view a full listing of U.S. News magazine, book and Web-only rankings for 2004-05, please visit the U.S. News & World Report site: http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/rankings/rankindex_brief.php

Despite their money-grubbing reputation, MBA students have more than their future paychecks on their minds. Through both school and student-driven initiatives, the Olin School of Business continues to provide ample proof that it fosters community responsibility in its students. In addition to the array of activities the business school is organizing to help victims of Hurricane Katrina, business school students are working to strengthen the St. Louis community as well. On Saturday, Sept. 10, current MBA students, alumni, faculty and staff from the Olin School of Business at Washington University in St. Louis are teaming up for the first annual Olin Serves Day.

Joe Angeles/WUSTL PhotoThe National Football League season has kicked off with a bang and once again, ticket prices are higher than ever. Fans who pay anywhere from $50 to $250 for a single ticket may grouse about the price, but Dan Elfenbein, a professor in the Olin School of Business at Washington University in St. Louis, said football teams routinely under-price their tickets and online ticket scalpers are reaping the benefits.