Beta Gamma Sigma is the national scholastic honor society in the field of business administration recognized by AACSB International -– The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.  Membership in Beta Gamma Sigma is considered one of the highest recognitions that a business student anywhere in the world can receive in an accredited business program.

A formal induction ceremony is held each spring to recognize the scholastic achievements of individual students. To be eligible for membership, students’ academic rankings must place them in the upper 10 percent of the junior class, upper 10 percent of the senior class, or upper 20 percent of master’s graduates.

The 2008/2009 Beta Gamma Sigma Induction Ceremony will be held on Saturday, April 25th at 2pm in the Caterpillar Auditorium.  An open reception will follow in the Atrium.  We will welcome this year’s class and recognize our Chapter Honoree, Robert Crowell ’95, Senior Vice President of Development for E.ON Climate and Renewables North America.  Mr. Crowell will speak at the event and will be available at the reception that follows.

You can learn more about the benefits of membership by visiting the national Beta Gamma Sigma web site.

Learn more about Robert Crowell,  our Chapter Honoree.

Please join us!
April 30. 2009  from 4:30-6:30 p.m.
Chicago Marriott Downtown Hotel
540 North Michigan Avenue

Join COB leaders, alumni and industry partners for a Chicagoland after-hours networking reception. This event is sponsored by State Farm and NICOR Gas.Register at www.alumni.ilstu.edu/cobchicago call Alumni Relations at (800) 366-4478, or by e-mail natread@ilstu.edu by April 27. If you need special accommodation to fully participate in these events, please call Alumni Relations at (800) 366-4478.

Make sure you receive future COBAN and COB communications by updating your contact information at https://www.illinoisstatealumni.org/ccon/.  You can communicate directly with other COBAN members through the online professional networking service LinkedIn. It just takes a few moments to create a profile that summarizes your professional accomplishments. There is no fee for the basic service. Use the following link to join the Illinois State University College of Business Alumni Network http://www.linkedin.com/e/gis/130547 .

If you have questions about COBAN or would like to opt out of future communications, contact Amy Humphreys, Assistant to the Dean for Constituent Relations alhumph@ilstu.edu.

Would you like to modify your preferences on types of e-mail messages you receive from Illinois State? You can do this online at http://www.advancement.ilstu.edu/news/email_preferences.shtml. You can also update your address or phone at the Alumni Web site: http://www.IllinoisState.edu/alumni, or by e-mailing us at isualum@IllinoisState.edu.

Peoria native Zach Jeremiah ’08 earned his degree in Organizational Management and is putting those skills to good use as a member of the Peace Corps. He recently shared his experiences with us.

Q:  What led you to join the Peace Corps and what sorts of experiences were you hoping it would provide?

A:  Well, I had a classic fork in the road experience that led me here.  My first love is baseball, and I hope to one day work in the front office of a major league club.  Towards the end of college I was talking with the Pittsburgh Pirates front office about an internship doing exactly that.  However, I also wanted to cover my bases, and doing service was the other path I had great interest in.  I interviewed with Teach for America and the Peace Corps, but my wanderlust made the Peace Corps my far and away first choice.  For awhile it looked like I¨d have to make the tough decision between PC and the Pirates, but when the internship fell through at the last moment I was spared that.  And when I saw that I would be going to Peru, I was instantly pleased that it worked out like it did.

As for what I was hoping to gain from the experience- complete immersion in a new culture and the ability to live and travel in a continent I was so unfamiliar with were the prime motivators.  And to be able to do all this while using the education I was lucky enough to receive to help others was about as ideal as it gets.

Read more Q & A about Zach Jeremiah’s experiences in the Peace Corps.  (pdf)