Master of Business Administration (MBA) students at Cornell University's Johnson Graduate School of Management are making things happen economically in Ithaca, according to Dean Robert Swieringa. Addressing about 115 members of the Ithaca Rotary Club at a luncheon at the Holiday Inn July 7, Swieringa cataloged ways that the school's MBA students are sharing their expertise with the community and enhancing its social and economic well-being.

"We want our students to internalize the notion that community service is an essential part of the role of an outstanding business leader," said Swieringa.

He cited such recent student initiatives as a report on how to revitalize Ithaca's downtown, recommendations on ways to expand and improve airline services to the area and a plan to enhance local access to the latest medical technology as examples of their involvement.

The students' suggestions for re-energizing the Ithaca Commons attracted particular interest among audience members. A group of six students did a benchmarking study of 13 comparable communities across the country with vital downtown areas. Supported by funds from Ithaca's Park Foundation, they visited the communities, analyzed facts and presented a detailed 150-page report of their findings to Ithaca Mayor Alan Cohen this May.

The six students are among the school's 30 Park fellows — recipients of grants funded by the Park Foundation, which was created by the family of communications executive Roy H. Park Sr. The fellowships cover full tuition to the two-year MBA program plus a stipend. The prestigious, sought-after grants require each fellow to complete a project that contributes to meaningful and permanent change in the community, university or school.

Other student volunteer efforts noted by the dean were the Start-Up Forum, which matches MBA students with Cornell scientists and others who have potentially marketable ideas; the Small Business Counsel a student-led group that provides strategic management consulting services

in finance, human resources, marketing and operations to help emerging companies; and a project in which students and faculty analyze the accounting needs of local companies and recommend the most appropriate type of accounting system to employ.

Johnson School students also are helping local nonprofit organizations measure their achievements quantitatively and assisting them in leveraging limited financial resources. And they are exploring the possibility of developing a venture capital fund to serve the Cornell academic and student communities.

"The students' pro bono consulting services, if purchased, would carry a market value of hundreds of thousands of dollars," suggested Swieringa. But community volunteering is a "win-win" arrangement, he said, giving students real-world experience that will stand out on their résumés and help make them more competitive in the highly competitive job market for MBA graduates.

And, of course, there are the intangible benefits. "Business schools are in the business of transformation," Swieringa concluded. By being active volunteers, Johnson School students not only are transforming the community but "they are being transformed by the experience."

Ithaca Rotary Club President George Gull, a research support specialist for the Cornell Department of Astronomy, is one of the club's many members with a Cornell affiliation. He said of the talk: "Service is Rotary's main thrust, so I was pleased to learn that so many Johnson School students are involved in community service projects." Gull also commented that Roy Park Jr., a Cornell trustee, is a member of the local Rotary Club and a proponent of service, as was his late father. "It's great to see the Park legacy so present in the community," Gull said.