Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/56537
Spotlight In a League Of Their Own Every fund raising and development office is looking for new ways to connect with stakeholders and reach poten- tial donors. But the University of Washington's Foster School of Busi- ness in Seattle came up with an idea that is, quite literally, a team effort. In December, the Foster School began distributing a set of 2008– 2009 team trading cards to promote its faculty's best accomplishments. Designed like traditional baseball cards, each of the 18 faculty cards features the name and picture of a faculty member on the front. New faculty are designated as "Rookies," while veterans are "All-Stars." On his card, Dean James Jiambalvo is "The Skipper." On the back, the card lists each professor's title, research specializa- tion, career highlights, and a "Did You Know?" section that provides a fun fact about his or her favorite activity. For example, the card for rookie Hamed Mamani, an assistant professor in operations management, notes his recent research on the application of supply chain coordina- tion to flu vaccine distribution and his bronze medal at Iran's National The cards are less formal than other approaches, but they have become a great way for us to connect to people. —Steven Hatting Mathematics Olympiad in 1998. The back of the card for all-star Bruce Avolio, the Marion B. Ingersoll Pro- fessor of Management, highlights his work as a leadership consultant and his passion for fly fishing. Dean Jiambalvo's card notes that he wrote the book Manage- rial Accounting, led a $181 million capital campaign, and plays a "mean blues guitar." The cards were created in-house by Foster School staff, as a fun and entrepreneurial approach to fund rais- ing and development, explains Steven Hatting, Foster's assistant dean of development and external relations. Now, when Hatting visits potential donors, he uses one of the trading cards to spark a discussion about that professor's contributions to the school. So far, students, faculty, alumni, donors, and even other business 72 BizEd MAY/JUNE 2009 A set of baseball-themed faculty trading cards from the Foster School of Business highlights its professors' best stats while promoting its program. schools have loved the creative way the cards showcase the school. Because of the positive feedback the cards have received—and the num- ber of Foster faculty who weren't included in the first run—the school plans to design a second set of cards for 2009–2010. The trading cards are fun for professors, says Hatting. But more important, they help prospective stu- dents, potential donors, and possible faculty hires see the school in a new light. "This is a fresh look," he says. "The cards are less formal than other approaches, but they're a part of who we are. They've become a great way for us to connect to people." ■ z