Haas NewsWire


Haas NewsWire, September 13, 2004




HAAS HEADLINES


New Assistant Professor's Research Could Shorten Wait for Kidney Transplants

Xuanming Su
Xuanming Su

Patients awaiting donor kidneys could significantly increase their chances for a successful transplant if a mathematical model recently developed by new Assistant Professor Xuanming Su was adopted to prioritize the waiting list more effectively.


Su, a new assistant professor in the Operations and Information Technology Management group at the Haas School, has used queuing theory -- the study of who gets served, when -- to develop a model to manage the list of patients waiting for kidney transplants.


Of the more than 60,000 patients in the United States who are waiting for kidney transplants, fewer than 10,000 receive transplants each year and at least 20,000 more are added to the list, according to published statistics.


"This is a big problem in our country," says Su. "Most of the time, this problem is looked at by doctors, who have a fixed way of addressing the issues involved. I thought that I could use an operations management perspective to look at it in a new way."


Su explains that the organ donation system currently identifies potential recipients by methodically going down a prioritized waiting list when a donated kidney becomes available. Patients frequently refuse the organ, however, on the basis of poor tissue match, donor age, and other factors. Because only a certain number of patients can be contacted within the kidney's 48-hour window of viability, in 15 percent of cases a recipient cannot be found in time and the precious kidney must be discarded.


Using mathematical models, Su has determined that an allocation system based on patient preferences would reduce such waste. Su's proposal includes classifying kidneys into grades based on factors such as donors' age, gender, tissue type, health, and cause of death. Patients declare in advance a minimum acceptable grade, and are contacted according to their seniority on the list only when such a kidney becomes available.


Su's analysis reveals that by allocating kidneys according to these parameters, the organ donation system could reduce the number of kidneys that go unused by 56 percent. Moreover, such efficiency will result in an overall 12 percent decrease in average waiting time for patients on the transplant list, and a 39 percent increase in the likelihood that they will receive a kidney that is a good match for them.


"The bottom line of this study is that healthier patients who can afford to wait will choose to wait for better kidneys, and patients who are in poor health will receive kidneys in a shorter time. It basically benefits everyone," Su says.


He plans to submit a proposal to modify the current system according to his study to the national committee in charge of transplant policy decisions.


Su holds a Ph.D. in business, MS degrees in statistics and in computer science, a BA in economics, and a BS in mathematics, all from Stanford University.


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Prof. David Aaker Wins the MIT Sloan Buck Weaver Award for Marketing


David Aaker, professor emeritus at the Haas School, was named the second recipient of the MIT Sloan School of Management Buck Weaver Award for Marketing on September 11, at a conference at MIT held in his honor.


This award was established last year at MIT Sloan and sponsored by General Motors Corp. to honor individuals who have made important contributions to the advancement of theory and practice in marketing science.


Aaker is the author of 13 books and 100 articles, focusing primarily on the field of branding. His books include the noted Managing Brand Equity which proposed a new and powerful paradigm for marketing thinking and application, and his most recent book, Brand Portfolio Strategy. Aaker is vice chairman of the consulting firm Prophet. He joined the Haas School in 1968.


"David Aaker has been a pioneer in preaching the doctrine of brand equity. He has brought a rare blend of analytical thinking and practical insight and recommendations to the field of Marketing Strategy," said MIT Sloan Professor of Management Glen Urban.


The award is named after Henry Grady "Buck" Weaver, a pioneer in marketing research and market-based decision making in the 1930s.


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Investment and Innovation: MOT Speakers Explore the Role of Technology in Business

This fall's Management of Technology (MOT) lecture series brings a wealth of high-tech knowledge to the Haas School beginning with Brad Koenig, managing director and head of the global high technology group at Goldman Sachs, on Wednesday, September 29, at 4:00 p.m. in the Wells Fargo Room.


"We strive with this series to look at technology both as an investment opportunity and as an opportunity to create value," says Andrew Isaacs, MOT executive director and adjunct professor. "We've struck that balance really well with this speaker schedule."


Also speaking in the series this fall:



All lectures take place in the Wells Fargo Room at the Haas School of Business, from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., with a reception to follow. For further information on the program or the lecture series, please visit http://mot.berkeley.edu or contact Susan Reneau at sreneau@haas.berkeley.edu or 510-643-1398.


The Management of Technology Program is a joint program between the Haas School, the College of Engineering, and the School of Information Management and Systems.


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Berkeley MBA Named #13th Best Global Program by Latin American Ranking

America Economia, a Latin American business magazine, ranked the Berkeley MBA #13 in the world, up from #14 last year, in its 2004 Global MBA ranking, published in the current issue. Among US schools, Haas ranked #10.


America Economia evaluated 75 business schools around the globe to identify which MBA programs provide the most value for Latin American executives.


The ranking methodology gave equal weight to the following four factors:



The ranking also takes into account the prestige of the school, based on a survey of deans and faculty members; the cost of the program; and the cost of living. The ranking is based on data supplied by the schools and survey responses of 302 business school faculty and deans who volunteered to participate.


For more information, go to www.americaeconomia.com


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New Staff



Adrianne Francisco Joins Academic Staff


Adrianne Francisco joined Haas as a graduate student personnel administrator in the office of Academic Administration on August 30. Previously, Francisco was a staff consultant for Celerity Consulting Group, a litigation and business consulting firm located in San Francisco.


Francisco is a Phi Beta Kappa who holds a BA in history from UC Berkeley. In between museum-hopping and traveling, she focuses on cooking, volunteering, and her special interest in immigration and educational issues.


E-mail: adrianne@haas.berkeley.edu
phone: 510-643-9694
office: S522K


Cortney Allen Provides First Point of Contact at Career Center


After a summer internship working for Right Management Consultants in a special Career Resource Center at Sun Microsystems, Cortney Allen returned to the front desk of the Career Center on September 1 as a career services associate. Allen held this position in the 2003-2004 academic year.


Previously Allen worked as an assistant buyer for Saks Fifth Avenue, as a manager of tour operations at Academic Arrangements Abroad, and as a public affairs consultant with Lifetime Television for Women, all in New York.


Allen holds a BSLA from Georgetown University and is an MA candidate in career development at JFK University. She and husband Benjamin, MBA 05, enjoy travel, sports and exploring the Bay Area.


e-mail: cortney@haas.berkeley.edu
phone: 510-643-4904
office: S430


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Haas in the News

Hal Varian, professor in the Operations and Information Technology Management Group, was quoted in Information Week on September 6 in an article titled "Productivity Growth Slows, But I.T. Will Lead To Gains." Varian commented on recently adopted technology improving productivity at small and medium-sized firms. For full text: http://www.informationweek.com/shared/printableArticle.jhtl?articleID=4600204


The Haas School of Business' BASE summer program was mentioned in Computer World on September 6 in an article titled "Career Watch: From Boot Camp to Corporate HQ." For full text: http://www.computerworld.com/printthis/2004/0,4814,95644,00.html.


A statistical model created by Meghan Busse, assistant adjunct professor, and her co-author Andrew Bernard, which predicts the number of Olympic medals countries will win based on non-athletic variables, was featured in the Toronto Globe and Mail on September 4 in an article titled " Canada 's Performance Predictable." For full text: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20040904/OLYPREDICT04/ TPSports/TopStories.


The Haas School of Business was briefly mentioned in the Daily Californian on September 2 in an article about the Office of Undergraduate Advising titled "Navigating a Cluttered Bureaucracy." For full text: http://www.dailycal.org/article.php?id=15948.


Severin Borenstein, E.T. Grether Professor in Public Policy and Business Administration, was featured on the following radio stations in August:



Stories about Sara Takesh, MBA 03, and her Afghan clothing line, Tarsian & Blinkley, appeared in the following publications:



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Happening at Haas


BERKELEY ENTREPRENEURS FORUM
"Voice Over IP: Sustainable Strategies for a Disruptive Technology"
Thursday, September 30
6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Arthur Andersen Auditorium
For more information, visit: http://entrepreneurship.berkeley.edu/forum.asp


CENTER FOR RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS
David Greenberg, senior vice president and chief compliance officer, Altria Group, Inc. (Altria is now the parent company of Philip Morris and Kraft Foods)
Executive Education Learning Classroom, S480
Wednesday, October 13
6:00 p.m.
For more information, contact Joanna Trammell at joannat@haas.berkeley.edu.


Seminars


ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR AND INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS SEMINAR
"Hot and Cool Dynamics in Emotional Processing" by Ozlem Ayduk, UC Berkeley
Wednesday, September 15
4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Room C220
For more information, contact Deborah Houy at houy@haas.berkeley.edu.


FINANCE SEMINAR
"Acquiring Control in Emerging Markets: Evidence from the Stock Market" by Anusha Chari, University of Michigan and UC Berkeley
Thursday, September 16
4:10 p.m. to 5:40 p.m.
Room C210
For more information, contact June Wong at june@haas.berkeley.edu.


BERKELEY REAL ESTATE SEMINAR
"Household Risks and the Demand for Housing Commitments" by Todd Sinai, Wharton
School
Monday, September 20
12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Room C135
For more information, contact Thomas Randle at randle@haas.berkeley.edu.


ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR AND INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS SEMINAR
"Constructing Markets and Organizing Boundaries: Entrepreneurial Action in Nascent Fields" by Kathleen Eisenhardt, Stanford University
Wednesday, September 22
4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Room C220
For more information, contact Deborah Houy at houy@haas.berkeley.edu.


FINANCE SEMINAR
"Corporate Investment and Asset Price Dynamics: Implications for SEO Event Studies and Long-Run Performance" by Adlai Fisher, University of British Columbia
Thursday, September 23
4:10 p.m. to 5:40 p.m.
Room C210
For more information, contact June Wong at june@haas.berkeley.edu


INSTITUTIONAL ANALYSIS WORKSHOP
"Games Prisoners Play: Informal Institutions of Prison Subculture" by Marek Kaminski, University of California, Irvine
Thursday, September 23
4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Room C325
For more information, contact Anita Stephens at stephens@haas.berkeley.edu.


BERKELEY REAL ESTATE SEMINAR
"Pricing of Shared Appreciation Mortgages" by Gerd Welke, Haas School of Business
Monday, September 27
12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Room C135
For more information, contact Thomas Randle at randle@haas.berkeley.edu.


INSTITUTIONAL ANALYSIS WORKSHOP
"Detecting Manipulation in US House Elections: 1898-1992" by Jason Snyder, University of California, Berkeley
Thursday, September 30
4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Room C325
For more information, contact Anita Stephens at stephens@haas.berkeley.edu.


Alumni Events

NEW YORK ALUMNI
Career Workshop on "How to get promoted in your current company" & Reception with Dean Tom Campbell
Thursday, September 23
4:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. (reception begins at 6:00 p.m.)
Midtown Executive and Chemists' Club
The cost for the workshop and reception is $45 per person. For the reception only, the cost is $25 per person.
Please register online by September 14 at www.acteva.com/go/haasalumni. For more information, contact the Haas School Alumni Relations Office at 510-642-7790 or alumni@haas.berkeley.edu.


SAN FRANCISCO ALUMNI
"Two Coasts, Three Countries, All MBAs" Multi-School Bar of the Month
Thursday, September 23
6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Kelly's Irish Pub, 530 Jackson Street, San Francisco
Haas is hosting a joint bar of the month with Columbia, INSEAD, London School of Business, and MIT to strengthen our network with these other schools.
For more information: www.hansf.com or contact Andy Szirtes at andras_szirtes@yahoo.com or David Gimpelevich at gimpelev@alumni.haas.org.


ALL ALUMNI
Homecoming Celebration
Saturday, October 16, 2004
10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Former students of the Haas School will reunite for a festive day back on campus. The annual Haas School homecoming kicks off with a special lecture by Dean Tom Campbell on his insights and perspectives on the current economic and political landscape. This session will be followed by a Mexican fiesta luncheon in the courtyard with live music and special activities for kids. Then it is off to Memorial Stadium to watch the Golden Bears play football against UCLA. Join us for this festive autumn day. Advanced registration required. The registration deadline is October 8.
For more information, call the Haas School Alumni Relations Office at 510-642-7790 or go to http://www.haas.berkeley.edu/alumni/homecoming.


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