With the summer upon us and another outstanding academic year complete, the Robinson College has particular reason to celebrate. In the spring, we learned that U.S. News & World Report named the College's flexible MBA program the best in the nation among public universities and fifth overall. In addition, our graduate programs in management information systems and health administration were named sixth and I 2th, respectively, among public universities. This news follows a SUCCESS magazine report that ranked our entrepreneurship program in the top 20 among the nation's public universities.

COMMUNITY FOCUS

One of the keys to the College's success is our linkage to the business community. As you will read in this issue, our RoundTables bring together corporate leaders in a variety of disciplines to exchanges ideas, and also provide faculty a way to stay aligned with the needs and strategies of the "real business world."

Another tie to the community comes through our Department of Information Systems. You can read about how the department is working with Atlanta-based United Parcel Service to create a web software curriculum designed to educate future employees.

REAL-WORLD KNOWLEDGE AND APPLICATIONS

Finance professor Roger Morin also imparts "real-world" knowledge to our students and now to the general public. The subject of his new book, Driving Shareholder Value, is discussed in this issue. Morin offers insight on the challenges of corporate governance today and how to build shareholder wealth in light of the changes in the investment community brought on by technology and the Internet.

Two alumni who have made excellent use of the practical knowledge they gained here are also profiled in this issue. Andrew (Drew) Baur a successful St. Louis banker, is part owner of the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team. Another entrepreneur and Robinson College alum, Christine Jacobs, is leading the company, Theragenics, to new heights.

The Robinson College has a long tradition of providing hands-on knowledge and giving students opportunities to apply it in the real world. We are constantly seeking new and better ways to reach out to the business community for the betterment of our students and the College as a whole. I welcome your input in this area as we look toward the beginning of a new academic year.

Sidney E. Harris
Dean
Robinson College of Business