News for alumni & friends
June 23, 2020
Greetings from Ann Arbor -

The Tauber Institute for Global Operations at the University of Michigan is committed to anti-racism. We hope that you will engage with anti-racism resources compiled by our Michigan colleagues that provide inspiration, knowledge, and tools to help us confront the racism embedded in our societies, in our institutions, and in our everyday lives.

The publication of this month's Tauber news coincides with International Women in Engineering Day. We are honored to have had the opportunity to collaborate with so many talented women in engineering: award-winning Michigan Engineering faculty members, our dedicated Industry partners, and of course, our brilliant students and alumnae. Please join us in recognizing the myriad contributions of women to the field of engineering, and in nurturing the next generation of STEM leaders.

Damian Beil , Business Co-director
Ray Muscat , Industry Director
Lawrence Seiford , Engineering Co-director
Diana Crossley , Managing Director
Asli Aka , Associate Director Industry Relations
"The current global movement to eradicate systemic and institutional racism signals a momentous opportunity to learn from and engage with one another; to reflect deeply on the trauma, grief, and fear experienced in Black communities and other communities of color on a daily basis; to strengthen our resolve to combat racism at the University of Michigan and beyond; and to plan for actions to carry forward."
ISO optimal mentor match
The Tauber Institute updated the alumni-student mentorship program to better pair students working on their team projects with alumni whose careers and professional interests are an optimal match.
Many thanks to all our alumni and friends who have donated to fund stipends for students whose revised team projects do not support full student salaries. We will close the special COVID-19 team project stipend fund on June 25.
"Apart from the academic training, perhaps the most valuable lesson I learned at Tauber is understanding how to not just work in, but to identify and leverage the key strengths of a team and how to engage with people in meaningful and impactful ways... key lessons I learned on achieving buy-in from stakeholders and navigating corporate culture are things I apply to this day."

Tauber alumna Sneha Venkatachalam (MBA '16) is now an Apple program manager working on core technologies and iPhone product operations.
Leadership in a pandemic: "It's war"
Tauber Industry Advisory Board member and CPP Global CEO Brian Tauber shares his tactical response to the life and death challenge of COVID-19.
Celebrate women in engineering
June 23 is International Women in Engineering Day! We asked some of the amazing Tauber alumnae in engineering to share their experiences and to offer advice for recent graduates entering STEM fields.
"This year on the last day of class a student said my class was 'a disruptor.' I asked her what she meant. She said, 'Before this, I assumed anything provided in a textbook or paper was true. Your class taught me that even peer-reviewed papers could be wrong.'"

Tauber team project faculty advisor Richard Hughes (pictured above brainstorming during a recent Tauber faculty virtual forum) is an Associate Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, and also holds appointments in Biomedical Engineering and Industrial & Operations Engineering. He believes that critical thinking is the most important skill for Operations students to develop.
How did you frame it?
Research led by Tauber Business Co-director Damian Beil finds that the specifics of how online contests frame challenges for crowdsourced designs impacts the quality of entries received.
Refresh for project success
This spring, the Tauber Student Advisory Board created new Leadership Advantage module refreshers to help students solidify their knowledge for increased team project success.
Tauber Solutions: Refining the Stoneridge Launch Process
"Stoneridge, Inc. is moving towards the development of systems-level parts, which requires cross-functional work across business units, [and] is looking to leverage its global strengths and capabilities to launch products more efficiently and with greater cost savings.”

As a result of rapid growth, some recent Stoneridge product launch programs have incurred significant post-launch costs and extended timelines. Stoneridge brought in the Tauber team of Stephanie Hoglund (EGL BSE/MSE-IOE) and Laura Malecky (MBA) to identify the best opportunities to improve the product launch process. The team's recommendations could save $20 million annually.
Thank you Tauber Victors!
Your contributions ensure our students continue to be the Leaders & Best in operations. Many thanks t o Susan Scheidler Allen, Samvit Bhardwaj & Asmita Singh, Jason Comstock, Timothy Gantz, Edward & Jennifer Hanawalt, David Hoffman, Horing Family Fund, Sho Kawabe, Irving Liimatta, Daniel & Kelsey Partin, John Scrudato & Shan Kuang, Nayana Srivastava, and anonymous donors for recent gifts, and to all our alumni and friends for your ongoing support.
Join Tauber alumni online
Join fellow alumni by introducing yourself to the online Tauber Institute Alumni Community. Share operations insights and forge meaningful connections with Tauber alumni around the globe.
Explore the Tauber alumni job board
Looking for a great new hire - or looking for your next career move? The Tauber alumni job board is the perfect place to post or peruse.
Some recent job posts:
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Show your Michigan spirit on your next video conference call

Be camera-ready in maize and blue!
University of Michigan COVID-19 resources
Lead and inspire your virtual team
Our colleagues at the Sanger Leadership Center host webinars and curate articles that can help you lead with confidence during the pandemic.
Empower the people in your organization
Bring out the best in your coworkers and take better care of yourself. Our colleagues at the Center for Positive Organizations present strategies to help you continue to thrive during trying times.