Lawrence introduces curriculum with business focus

Lawrence’s liberal arts curriculum helps students develop the universal skills of communication and problem solving, which can be applied, to great benefit, in the business industry. However, as Professor Adam Galambos comments, “Many Lawrentians do enter business careers, but our students’ knowledge and awareness of these careers is very limited.”
Fortunately, a new program at Lawrence will help students learn about the realities of the business world. Coordinated by Galambos, the Lawrence Scholars in Business program provides opportunities for students at Lawrence who are interested in business careers to learn exactly what they entail and how to prepare for them.
In addition to Galambos, a committee consisting of Professors John Brandenberger, Marty Finkler, Jake Frederick, Alan Parks and Claudena Skran manages the program.
Since the beginning of the year, the program has already hosted several successful events. In October, alumni came to discuss the investment banking industry and the fundamental changes currently taking place within it.
More recently, speakers with a combined 80 years of consulting experience came to discuss management consulting, using an interactive approach to inform students in a very real way about the business.
According to Casey Shaw, a student who attended this event, it succeeded in being grounding and informative, particularly due to the frankness of the speakers. Said Shaw, “The stiff dose of reality the four speakers brought to the table was refreshing and much needed. It changed my plans for the future.”
In addition to providing these learning opportunities, the program also recognizes outstanding students by naming up to five Lawrence Business Scholars per year. Those students receive $5000 to use toward their career development, such as expenses related to career searches or competitive internships.
This year, two students have been named Lawrence Business Scholars: Adam Ferguson, ’10 and Jackie Bean, ’09. In addition to demonstrating academic excellence and extracurricular leadership, these students were also selected because they show ambition and direction in their career aspirations.
As well as using his new fund toward travel expenses for interviews, Ferguson has already begun working with successful alumni. Robert Perille, a managing director of advisors at Shamrock Capital and alumni coordinator of the program, and Charles Saunders advised him on his résumé, gave him interviewing tips and even helped him set up interviews.
With the country’s economy currently in a state of rapid change, the program provides an important complement to the liberal arts education, teaching students how to practically apply the skills they learn here. As Galambos said, “If you excel academically and you are proactive in exploring careers through programs such as LSB, you will find more doors open than you might have expected.”
More information about the program can be found on its website, http://www.lawrence.edu/dept/economics/lsb, or by contacting Professor Galambos.