Penn State Great Valley hosts speaker series
for business professionals

The Continuing Professional Education Division of Penn State Great Valley School of Graduate Professional Studies is offering a speaker series on Friday mornings this spring, beginning March 28 with a program titled, “Effectively Managing Your Career for Growth and Change in 2008.” Other programs to follow include: April 4­-“IT Business Analyst: Assessing Your Needs;” April 18-­“Virtualization: Transforming Your IT Organization;” May 2-­“Leading Change: Tools and Techniques;” and May 16-­“Resolving Conflict through Negotiation.” All programs, which are held in the Musser Auditorium of the Safeguard Scientifics Building on campus, begin at 7:30 a.m. with check-in and networking, continue with speakers from Penn State Great Valley’s Continuing Professional Education Department, and conclude at 10 a.m. after a question and answer session and additional networking. Cost of each program is $25, which includes continental breakfast and a $25 voucher good toward tuition for any upcoming continuing professional education non-credit program at Penn State Great Valley, in Malvern.

For information call 610-648-3281 or send email to gvskills@psu.edu www.gv.psu.edu/ce/speaker

Penn State Great Valley professor’s book makes top business book list

Dr. John J. Sosik’s book, Leading with Character: Stories of Valor and Virtue and the Principles They Teach (Information Age: 2006) has been selected as one of the "30 Best Business Books of 2007" by Soundview Executive Book Summaries. Sosik is professor of management and organization and professor-in-charge of the Master of Leadership Development program at Penn State Great Valley graduate school, Malvern.

In the book, Sosik highlights 23 principles of leading with character exhibited by some of our most transcendent leaders -including Pope John Paul II, Martin Luther King, and Nelson Mandela- along with others whose leadership qualities may be less recognized, including such figures as Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, poet Maya Angelou and children's television legend, Mr. Rogers.

“I was surprised and happy to receive this honor, because it took a lot of work to write this book. It’s nice to see that business readers are appreciating its message,” said Sosik, who lives in Exton. “People like to learn about leadership through the life stories of leaders. I wrote Leading with Character so that leaders in all walks of life can realize that character and virtue form the foundation of outstanding leadership, and it’s nice to know it’s making an impact in the business world.”

Leading with Character: Stories of Valor and Virtue and the Principles They Teach is available from the publisher at infoagepub.com or at amazon.com.

Penn State Great Valley offers new M.B.A. in
Management of Information Technology

Much of today's business success depends on sound utilization of information technology. With this in mind, Penn State Great Valley School of Graduate Professional Studies, in Malvern, is now offering an M.B.A. in Management of Information Technology.

The Management of Information Technology option is designed to provide IT professionals and those seeking to gain more knowledge in the area of IT with a combination of business and technical competencies. Students will acquire the tools necessary to manage information technology resources, as well as the know-how to align organizational information technology with business strategies. Middle managers in the IT field may find this M.B.A. particularly helpful in advancing their careers.

Students who pursue this degree should be, first and foremost, seeking a career in management and a degree at a highly-regarded university. For the convenience of working adults, most courses are held during evenings and on Saturdays in seven-week sessions.

Penn State Great Valley is located at 30 E. Swedesford Road, just off Route 202 in Malvern. For complete program information, visit www.gv.psu.edu/mba/mit, or call 610-648-3248.