Dr. Alexandre Olbrecht will serve as the Eastern Economic Association's new Executive Director
Dr. Alexandre Olbrecht, Associate Professor of Economics at Ramapo College's Anisfield School of Business and a Research Associate of the State University of New York at Binghamton, will serve as the Eastern Economic Association's new Executive Director. He has served on the Board of Advisors for Economic Education at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and is the school's faculty advisor for the Collegiate Federal Reserve Bank Challenge team. His published research has appeared in the Journal of Human Resources, Applied Economics Letters, Economics of Education Review, The American Journal of Business Education, and the Journal of Business & Economics Research. His work has been cited numerously, such as by BusinessWeek Online, Medical News Today, and Atlantic Monthly Magazine.
George Gonpu, Ph.D., appointed deputy minister for Budget, Ministry of Finance in the Republic of Liberia
George Gonpu, Ph.D., an assistant professor of Economics in the Anisfield School of Business at Ramapo College of New Jersey, was appointed deputy minister for Budget, Ministry of Finance in the Republic of Liberia. The professor, a resident of Hackensack, New Jersey is on a leave of absence from Ramapo College.
In a letter congratulating the professor, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, Liberia's president, welcomed Gonpu's ability to make a "meaningful contribution as we strive to move our country forward in a process aimed at enhancing peace, reconciliation and development."
Gonpu began teaching at Ramapo College in 2000. Most recently he taught three courses in the college's Anisfield School of Business, "Money & Economic Activity," "Introduction to Macroeconomics" and "Management Statistics." The professor holds a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois, an M.A. from Northwestern University and a B.S. from the University of Liberia.
ASB Alumni Networking Roundtable: Thursday, March 26, 2009
The Anisfield School of Business Alumni Advisory Board hosted its second annual Alumni Networking Roundtable on Thursday, March 26, 2009 from 6:00 – 9:30 PM in the Trustees Pavilion. The objective was to give business students an opportunity to network with ASB and other Ramapo alumni and learn about their professional experiences and career paths. The event was a great success once again with twenty-five alumni volunteering to sit at tables related to their areas of business, and sixty students joining them in conversation, rotating among tables. In this roundtable format, students express their table preferences upon registration and are then assigned to different tables each round. This year the school expanded student access to the alumni by adding a third roundtable discussion session, which provided even more opportunities for students to make connections and begin to build their professional networks.
Students overwhelmingly appreciated the opportunity to network with alumni of Ramapo College in a comfortable yet professional environment. They gained great perspective on the business world directly from professionals and were impressed by the accomplishments of the participating alumni.
The Anisfield School of Business, in conjunction with the Cahill Center, presented a Business Panel for ASB students onThursday, December 4, 2008. Students heard professionals from different disciplines discuss careers in their fields and the skills and abilities that employers are looking for in college graduates. Dean Lewis Chakrin moderated the panel discussion and fielded questions from a capacity audience of business students. Panelists included:
Kevin J. Collins, President and Managing Partner of Tobin & Collins CPA PA;
Juhi M. Gobalakrishna, Senior Human Resources Representative, Federal Reserve Bank of New York;
Jeremy Lewis, City Manager, Sherman Williams Company;
Trevor J. Patterson, Commercial Real Estate Broker, Grubb and Ellis Company;
Charles T. Saldarini, CEO, The Saldarini Group;
Denise Sawyer-Johnson, Leadership and Talent Development Management, BMW of North America, LLC;
Corey Staats, Client Services Team Manager, Vice-President, JP Morgan Private Bank;
As the global economic crisis continued to unfold, The Anisfield School of Business assembled a group of experts from the ASB faculty, Wall Street and the Federal Reserve Banking System to shed light on its causes, impacts and potential cures. The discussion was held October 29, 2008, which coincided with the 79th anniversary of “Black Tuesday.” The panelists explained to a standing-room-only audience what is happening in the economy and described the circumstances that led to this extraordinary set of events. They also offered suggestions of leading indicators that will mark the eventual turnaround in the economy:
a recovering stock market, indicating that trust and confidence in the credit markets are restored;
the stabilization of housing prices once the floor is hit – buyers need to know the floor is near;
credit card companies will realize their losses.
Lewis Chakrin, Ph.D., dean of the Anisfield School of Business, asserted in his invitation to the event, “While we cannot promise comfort, we can offer enlightenment.” The panel did just that.
After a welcome from President Peter P. Mercer, Dean Chakrin introduced the panelists:
Constance Crawford, CPA, professor of accounting, Anisfield School of Business; William Frech, Ph.D., professor of international business, Anisfield School of Business; Marc Goldstein, member of the Investment Committee of the Board of Governors of the Ramapo College Foundation, formerly senior vice president of Institutional Sales at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette; Jason Hecht, Ph.D., professor of finance, Anisfield School of Business; Michael Hutchins, Ph.D., CEO of Blue Hawk Capital Management, former chief investment officer of Dillon Read Capital Management. Previously, global head of Fixed Income, Rates and Securities at UBS. In 2005 rated as one of Wall Street’s “Top Traders;” Alexandre Olbrecht, Ph.D., assistant professor of economics, Anisfield School of Business; Murray Sabrin, Ph.D., professor of finance, Anisfield School of Business; Rob Osborn, a student in the Anisfield School of Business and a member of the school’s Fed Challenge team; Raymond Stone, Ph.D., managing director at Stone & McCarthy Research Associates, formerly director of global fixed income and economic research at Merrill Lynch. Served as Merrill Lynch’s chief economist and in the International Research Department of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
Richard and Millicent Anisfield Announce Another $3 Million Gift to the School That Bears Their Name
At a dedication ceremony Monday, April 28, 2008 for the Anisfield School of Business on the campus of Ramapo College of New Jersey, Richard and Millicent Anisfield of Saddle River announced a $3 million gift to the school that bears their name. In 2006, the Anisfields made a $2.5 gift to facilitate construction of the new academic building. At the time, it was the largest single gift in the history of Ramapo College. This second significant gift brings the total of the Anisfields' donation to the college to more than $6 million.
"Millicent and I are proud of Ramapo College and its fine faculty, students, staff and administrators who are responsible for the institution's high stature in the academic world," said Richard Anisfield. "We are delighted to contribute to the continuing growth of Ramapo and its college community."
The gift will be used to complete the fifth floor of the building and to support future programs of the business school. Features will include a state-of-the-art Trading Floor Simulation Room, four classrooms, a seminar room, a board room, a director's office and career services offices. The Trading Floor Simulation Room will be a highly technical specialty space with ample wall space for screens and scrolling tickers. It also will be an attractive space for student clubs that manage portfolios and for on-going contests that use virtual portfolios to compete.
Ramapo College Establishes the Sabrin Center for Business Excellence
Dr. Peter P. Mercer, president of Ramapo College of New Jersey, announced the establishment of the Sabrin Center for Business Excellence in the Anisfield School of Business. Initial funding for the Center will come from a $250,000 gift from Dr. Murray Sabrin, a professor of finance and executive director of the college’s Center for Business and Public Policy, and his wife, Florence.
“We believe that our gift will have a major impact on the education of Anisfield School of Business students,” said Dr. Sabrin. He and Mrs. Sabrin are committed to having their gift and the income it generates used for scholarships, faculty research and programmatic needs. The Center also will provide an opportunity for the Anisfield School of Business to conduct community outreach.
The first installment of the gift, in December, will be used to create an endowment for the exclusive use of the Sabrin Center for Business Excellence. An executive director will be appointed to begin organizing the Center and to seek support for future activities from corporations, foundations and individuals. It is expected the Sabrin Center for Business Excellence will begin operation in the 2008 - 2009 academic year. The Ramapo College Foundation will administer the Sabrin’s gift.
“It is always special in the life of a college when faculty members and their families contribute financially in a way that complements their intellectual contributions,” said Dr. Mercer.
Cathleen Davey, vice president and executive director of the Ramapo College Foundation said, “The Sabrins often speak about giving back and helping others. With this gift, they bring to fruition their dream and set a wonderful example for our faculty to emulate.”
Added Dr. Sabrin, “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Florence and me to provide a lasting legacy to Ramapo College, which gave me the opportunity to achieve my career goal.” The couple resides in Ft. Lee, New Jersey.
The Anisfield School of Business Alumni Advisory Board hosts first annual ASB Alumni Networking Roundtable
Aspiring business professionals should never underestimate the role that a strong “network” of business contacts can play in facilitating career success. Yet the skills required to develop and maintain such networks take time and practice to learn. To help students in this regard, the Alumni Advisory Board of the Anisfield School of Business hosted the first annual ASB Alumni Networking Roundtable on Wednesday, March 26, 2008 from 6:00 - 9:00 PM. The objective was to give juniors and seniors an opportunity to practice their networking skills and to begin to develop a valuable network of contacts with successful Ramapo business school alumni working in a variety of industries and professions. Students heard firsthand about careers in their fields of interest and gained experience in connecting with professionals in the business world.
In addition to two roundtable discussion sessions there was an opening reception with appetizers and a closing dessert reception during which students mingled with alumni and made contacts. For additional information about this event, contact Karen Norton at knorton@ramapo.edu.
ASB Announces New Business Essentials Certificate Program
Non-business majors seeking to enrich their academic experiences and broaden their career prospects are invited to enroll in the new Business Essentials Certificate Program. This program allows students who are not majoring in business to develop a working knowledge of fundamental business concepts. The courses and seminars will be scheduled at convenient times in the summer of 2008.
Largest Gift in Ramapo History Will Fund The Anisfield School of Business
Ramapo College of New Jersey announced that it has received the largest gift in the college's history. Longtime supporters Richard and Millicent Anisfield of Saddle River will donate $2.5 million toward Ramapo's business school. To express its appreciation for these contributions, the Ramapo College Board of Trustees will name the college's business school The Anisfield School of Business.
The Anisfield gift will provide funding to support the construction of a new academic building, an endowed deanship, endowed student scholarships and faculty fellowship awards. "The Anisfields are committed to our business school's mission to provide undergraduate students with exceptional public education through the strategic integration of the business disciplines and the liberal arts, "said Ramapo President Peter P. Mercer.
The Anisfield School of Business, the college's largest school with 23 percent of Ramapo students, will be housed on the lower level and the first three floors of the new facility, comprising 14 "smart" classrooms, two of which will be high-tech lecture halls, study lounges, an e-mail lounge, 40 faculty offices as well as 20 two-person adjunct faculty offices, break-out rooms for seminars and a dean's suite. This will make it possible to locate all business classrooms and faculty offices in one facility. Site work has already begun on the new building, which will be a central feature of the main entrance to the campus.
Dr. Alexandre Olbrecht, Associate Professor of Economics at Ramapo College's Anisfield School of Business and a Research Associate of the State University of New York at Binghamton, will serve as the Eastern Economic Association's new Executive Director. He has served on the Board of Advisors for Economic Education at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and is the school's faculty advisor for the Collegiate Federal Reserve Bank Challenge team. His published research has appeared in the Journal of Human Resources, Applied Economics Letters, Economics of Education Review, The American Journal of Business Education, and the Journal of Business & Economics Research. His work has been cited numerously, such as by BusinessWeek Online, Medical News Today, and Atlantic Monthly Magazine.
George Gonpu, Ph.D., an assistant professor of Economics in the Anisfield School of Business at Ramapo College of New Jersey, was appointed deputy minister for Budget, Ministry of Finance in the Republic of Liberia. The professor, a resident of Hackensack, New Jersey is on a leave of absence from Ramapo College.
At a dedication ceremony Monday, April 28, 2008 for the Anisfield School of Business on the campus of Ramapo College of New Jersey, Richard and Millicent Anisfield of Saddle River announced a $3 million gift to the school that bears their name. In 2006, the Anisfields made a $2.5 gift to facilitate construction of the new academic building. At the time, it was the largest single gift in the history of Ramapo College. This second significant gift brings the total of the Anisfields' donation to the college to more than $6 million. 
Dr. Peter P. Mercer, president of Ramapo College of New Jersey, announced the establishment of the Sabrin Center for Business Excellence in the Anisfield School of Business. Initial funding for the Center will come from a $250,000 gift from Dr. Murray Sabrin, a professor of finance and executive director of the college’s Center for Business and Public Policy, and his wife, Florence.
