Greetings alumni and SHR Center partners and friends,
As I reflect back on just over a year in the SHR Center Director role, I am grateful for and inspired by all that we’ve accomplished, together, to advance our Center and support our students. Those accomplishments would not have come to fruition without the help of our Wisconsin School of Business collaborators, our engaged alumni, and our helpful industry partners and Center friends – all of you. Thank you. Let me share a few highlights with you:
- In March we experienced our first off-site, overnight career exploration and networking trek to Chicago. Let’s give a huge shout-out to our Chicago friends for their support! (Read more below.)
- Nine class of 2023 SHR MBA students graduated. One student is continuing his education, seven landed excellent positions that were the right fit for them, and one graduate is still searching for her perfect role. Our five rising second year students are currently working diligently in their internships at Danaher, Microsoft, School of Medicine and Public Health, UHG, and US Bank. We will share more on career outcomes in our December newsletter. (Cohort picture below.)
- With the help of our Marketing and Strategic Communications team, we redesigned and refreshed our website; our Center also rolled out an active LinkedIn page. Follow us!
- Based upon feedback, we’ve updated our SHR MBA degree plan and curriculum to better meet industry and student needs, with more focus on applied learning opportunities. We strengthened our relationship with SHRM and will continue our academically aligned partner relationship.
- Our outreach efforts have increased significantly. This is incredibly important for the success of our Center and our students. I’ve meet with many industry professionals and a number of alums for thoughts and input how our Center can best prepare our future strategic human resources leaders and how alumni and partners might engage with us. One outcome of this process is our redesigned, full-day SHR Symposium 2023, which will take place on Friday, October 6, homecoming in Madison. SHR MBA and BBA HR students and faculty and staff will attend to learn and network with alumni and industry professionals. We need your help to make this a successful event. Will you support our students by attending and engaging at the symposium or by providing financial support?
Continue reading for more SHR news (including wishing Linda well and welcoming Mahina) and to learn how you can support our SHR Business Badgers! We appreciate your partnership and engagement. Enjoy the last weeks of summer, and please reach out to us if you have any questions.
On, Wisconsin!
Director, Strategic Human Resource Management Center
Important Center, Staff, and Student News
SHR Staff News
Thank you to our Assistant Director, Linda Barrett
by Charlie Trevor
As Academic Director of the SHR Center, it is with mixed feelings that I report that Linda Barrett has moved on from her Assistant Director position. In her nearly five years in the role Linda strengthened the Center in numerous ways, with enhancing alumni involvement among her key contributions. Many of you, for example, have become more engaged with our SHR students via the mentorship, Friday Workshops, and speakers bureau programs that she initiated. Our students are much better off as a result of this engagement. More directly, our students greatly benefited from Linda’s empathy, positivity, and common sense that helped to shepherd them through the ups and downs of the MBA experience. On a personal note, my job would have been far more difficult (and much less fun) without her insights, dedication, and good humor. Fortunately for us at WSB, she remains in Grainger Hall and is only a flight of stairs away, serving as Student Affairs Manager for the Risk and Insurance Department since April. Congratulations and thanks for everything, Linda!
Please welcome Mahina, our new team member
Mahina joined the team in early June and will be working as the Center Coordinator for both the Strategic Human Resource Management Center and the Marketing Leadership Institute (MLI). In her role, she will be helping the SHR and MLI centers with logistical needs including financial affairs, office management, and communications. Originally from Texas, Mahina is excited to work with UW-Madison and experience everything the Midwest has to offer (especially actual seasons). Mahina’s work space will be in MLI, which is just down the hall from our SHR Center. She will be in office most days, with a 20% remote schedule.
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SHR Student News
Congratulations to our recent graduates who are now SHRM-certified professionals!
- Alexis Parker passed the SHRM-CP in February 2023.
- Both Stephen Colleton and James Cox passed the SHRM-SCP in May 2023.
- Laura Rincon Quiroga passed her SHRM-CP in July 2023.
Why does rising-second year student, Anais Samanez, love Strategic Human Resource Management?
Class of 2024 MBA student Anais Samanez reflects on her time with the Strategic Human Resource Management Center. In this blog, she discusses what she has learned in her first year and her journey of becoming an outstanding HR professional. Read the blog »
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SHR Center News
SHR 2023 Symposium – Engaging Minds. Creating Connections. Future Thinking, Now!
Our redesigned and full-day SHR Symposium 2023 (formerly the HR Summit) will be held on Friday, October 6 in Madison at the Pyle Center. Please register to attend and join human resources professionals, SHR MBA students, BBA human resources students, Wisconsin School of Business staff, and others for learning and networking. Information on registration and logistics can be found on our symposium website. Engaging minds. Creating connections. Future thinking, now.
Click here to register for the symposium! There are discounts for early bird registers, SHR MBA alumni, and UW employees. If you need lodging, book now! We hope to see you on homecoming weekend. Also, join SHR at the WSB Homecoming Bash on Saturday, October 7 before the big game!
Alumni and Partner Highlights
Introducing Nancy Geenen as the SHR Symposium closing speaker
Nancy is an important friend of the Center, and we are excited to announce her as our SHR Symposium closing speaker. Check out her new book, “The Advantage of Other.” Click the link below for more on learning how to build a more equitable, dynamic, and productive workplace. Read more here »
2023 Trek to Chicago
This past March, SHR MBA students ‘trekked’ to Chicago to engage with a number of industry partners, including Claire’s, Accenture, LaSalle Network, 1WorldSync, and Lyric Opera of Chicago. Experienced local human resources leaders joined us for lunch to discuss their career paths and trends in HR. Read Amanda’s blog post for more information on the success of our first overnight trek! Read the blog »
SHR Alumni Notes in Update Magazine
SHR alums, have you started a new job or changed careers? Recently received an award or honor? Gotten married or welcomed a baby? Tell us what’s new in your life! Submit a Class Note to share with your fellow Business Badgers in the print version of WSB’s Update magazine. Submit a class note »
A special thank you to our 2022-2023 professional mentors
Mentors are crucial in building relationships, advancing careers, and spreading knowledge. Our students were grateful to have professional mentors this past year. Thank you for your support of our students!
Vinod Aravindakshan (Amanda Moran), Jordana Kammerud (Katie Caffrey), Jennifer Pfannensteil (Alexis Parker), Lori Hanes (Alice Chang-Der Bedrosian), Jeffrey Russell (Shanae Doerr), Mark Esselman (Stephen Colleton), Rick Doering (Joe Dalle Molle), Brian Pesner (James Cox), and Mike Rodriguez Goodson (Anais Samanez)
Faculty Publications & Media Mentions
Research from the academic world inspires HR practice. Below are a few highlights of recent activity from some of the Management and Human Resources department faculty.
Media Mentions
A new hub for responsible innovation that tests science, technology (Jon Eckhardt is quoted)
Why people reward innate talent over hard work. (Chia-Jung Tsay is quoted)
Looking for the secret to a happy life? Build strong relationships, focus on social fitness (Stav Atir is quoted)
Research on gender: WSB faculty members Stav Atir and Chia-Jung Tsay, mentioned above,also focused attention on gender in recent research, including how we talk about it and how it influences our colleagues’ assumptions when we’re out of the office.
Charlie Trevor’s employee turnover article featured in Forbes
A study co-authored by SHR’s Charlie Trevor was recently featured in a Forbes article on employee satisfaction and trust during mass layoffs. The study found that downsizing a workforce by 1% leads to a 31% increase in voluntary turnover the next year, demonstrating an organizational domino effect in which layoffs lead to distrust, dissatisfaction, and finally, departure. Read the article >>
Jirs Meuris’s burnout article featured in Harvard Business Review
Jirs Meuris, Assistant Professor in the Management and Human Resources Department, co-authored “Don’t Let Passion Lead to Burnout on your Team” published in Harvard Business Review. The highlighted study focused on how passionate employees often feel the brunt of burnout and exhaustion and what they can do to end this cycle. Read the article >>
How Can You Support our SHR Center?
Sponsor or Support the SHR Symposium 2023!
Are you, your company, your firm, or your organization interested in supporting our Center through sponsorship of our symposium? Different sponsorship options are available; you may also be a student supporter. Our SHR Center and students appreciate your consideration. Check out sponsorship opportunities »
Be a Mentor!
Interested in mentoring a SHR student? Email our team at the link below to discover ways to be involved and more about the mentorship experience! Email us »
Join our Mailing List!
Know anyone who might be interested in receiving our newsletter? Direct them to the link below to join the SHR mailing list to receive updates and invitations to events. Join our mailing list >>
Invest in SHR – Make a 2023 Gift!
Making a gift to support our Strategic Human Resource Management Center is simple and greatly appreciated. Gift funds support invaluable initiatives within SHR, such as financing industry visits, partially funding conference attendance, case competitions, SHRM membership, and certification exam fees. Larger donations will enable us to attract the best and brightest graduate students by offering scholarships. Will you consider making a donation? Give to SHR, or reach out to Center Director Tanya Hubanks if you would like to discuss additional gift options.
Engage with us on LinkedIn!
Follow our page on LinkedIn to stay up to date with SHR news. Check out our new alumni, student, and speaker spotlight series to read about the people who are part of our work. If you are interested in being a featured alumni, let us know! Follow our LinkedIn >>
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