Improving the Bottom Line: UAlbany MBA Students Provide Companies with Innovative, Money Saving Energy Strategies

G3: Going Green Globally" MBA students present energy sustainability plans Wednesday, May 13, 2009, 8:30 a.m.- noon, at the Assembly Hall, uptown campus

 

ALBANY, N.Y. (May 12, 2009) -- Working side-by-side with regional and national business development coaches, teams of  University at Albany MBA students have created sustainability programs and strategies to improve the green efforts and bottom line for companies across the country.

The students of the 2010 MBA class will present their initiatives on Wednesday, May 13, 2009, 8:30 a.m.- noon, at the Assembly Hall, Campus Center, UAlbany uptown campus.

The "G3: Going Green Globally" program, supported by a $5,000 innovations grant from Northeastern energy leader National Grid, was created to simulate the real world, high-intensity environment of managing a business in a volatile and competitive market. MBA teams, faculty coaches and businesspeople teamed up to evaluate companies and recommend programs to improve their sustainability programs, which include supply chain, transportation, waste, building design, water and other natural resources, and marketing.

"In my own research, I have argued that managers should engage in 'green management' practices only if such actions complement the firm�s business and corporate-level strategies and lead to higher profits.  Our G3 program places MBA students in real-world situations where they can help companies implement innovative sustainability strategies, while simultaneously improving organizational performance," said School of Business Dean Don Siegel. "We thank our corporate partners for their foresight and willingness to test these waters with us and to contribute to the improvement of this program."

"National Grid is proud to be part of this innovative program," said William Flaherty, National Grid�s Eastern New York Division vice president of Business Services. "We are dedicated to the efficient and responsible use of energy, and G3 offers the opportunity to create inventive sustainability initiatives that benefit the companies they serve and the UAlbany MBA students who designed them."

Among the client companies for which the MBA teams created energy sustainability programs are Price Chopper, AngioDynamics, SEFCU, Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC, the former GE Plastics), the Ohio-based packaging firm Greif, and Kirkwood, a ski resort in Lake Tahoe, California.

Program co-directors Vice Dean for Administration Linda Krzykowski and Associate Professor Paul Miesing brought business executives into the classroom to analyze issues, present case studies, and bring realistic goals and methods to the programs. Helping the teams with expertise were reps from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), New York Independent System Operator (NYISO), Wal-mart and General Electric. Also lending expertise was Susan Bromm of the EPA, a UAlbany alum.

The MBA teams were mentored by coaches who worked side-by-side with them on goals and presentation, including Jim Mahoney, former CEO of Dayton Power and Light; Stephen Ricci, a senior research engineer with Battelle Memorial Institute; Distinguished Professor of Atmospheric Sciences John Delano; and Professor Pradeep Haldar, head of the NanoEngineering Constellation and director of nanoscience doctoral students.

"Innovation at all levels, including at the nanoscale, holds the key to accelerating the use of clean and renewable energy technologies and programs," said Professor Haldar. "I applaud the MBA students and future business leaders for their creative, professional approach to understanding, developing and integrating green energy initiatives that offer important benefits from both an environmental and economic perspective."

 

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