@JONES:  NEWS AND INFORMATION FROM THE JONES SCHOOL  January  15, 2002 :: http://jonesgsm.rice.edu                    ::  News ::  Finance  program ranked No. 1 in the U.S. by The Economist  magazine;  Marketing  named second best program in U.S.   Rice  Biotech and Healthcare Symposium ?January 18  Dean's  Lecture Series Welcomes Jim Day, CEO, Noble Drilling ? January 23  TXU  Sponsors Partio ?January 24  Prof.  Bala Dharan Discusses the Enron Meltdown?January 31  Alumni  Happy Hour ?February 6  All-Class  Reunion ?February 28 through March 2  Rice  Alumni Directory Launched   Alums  Invited to Participate in Recruiting Events   Dean  Whitaker in Time Magazine   Jones  School Chosen as National GWIB Headquarters   ::  Online ::  Class  Gift Campaign  Rice  MBAby Rompers  Admissions  Counselors  History  Campaign  About  @Jones       ::  News ::  ::The  Economist magazine published the 13th edition of its guide to business  schools around the world, Which MBA? this month. Of the 116 business schools  included, the Economist says there are "No best schools as such...only  business schools that are best for individuals. Although there is no overall  ranking, the Economist lists the top schools in various categories. The  rankings were based on surveys of current students and recent alumni.  In the 2001 Jones School survey of deans of accredited business schools  77.1% of deans considered alumni satisfaction one of the five most important  criteria when assessing the quality of business schools. The other four  were: recruiter satisfaction 72%; current student satisfaction 50.8%;  faculty research 44.9%; and value for money 41.5%.  The Jones  School's finance program was ranked the number one program in the US and  tied for second in the world; the marketing program tied for 8th in the  world and was ranked 2nd in the US. Jones tied for 4th in the world and  tied for 3rd in the US for faculty quality; for program content tied for  14th in the world and tied for 5th in the US.   Tables showing  these and the other rankings and listing the top American schools can  be found at http://jonesgsm.rice.edu/jonesgsm/Rankings.asp   ::The  Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship   and the Jones School invite alumni and students to the Rice   University Biotech and Healthcare Symposium,  to be held from 11 a.m.  to 6 p.m., Friday, January 18, at the Rice Memorial Center. Hosted by  the Rice University Healthcare and Biotechnology Club, this event aims  to establish and maintain an ongoing relationship between the business  and life science graduate students of Rice University and the professionals  in the biotechnology and health care industries in the Houston area. Committed  professionals will include students, as future participants, in discussion  of current dynamics in the fields of interest. A networking happy hour  will be held to provide an opportunity for business professionals to meet  degree candidates from the Jones School as well as the Life Sciences Departments.  For more information, contact Bill Viereck ,  viereck@rice.edu, Rice U. Healthcare and Biotechnology Club. TOP   ::Jim  Day , Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Noble Drilling  Corp., will speak at the Dean's Lecture Series, Wednesday, January 23,  2002. Day was elected CEO and President in 1984 and Chairman of the Board  in 1993 for Noble Drilling, which operates a fleet of 49 deepwater offshore  mobile drilling units and manages nine platform operations for major operators  in the North Sea and the east coast of Canada. TOP     ::Students,  alumni, faculty, and staff are invited to the January 24 Partio hosted  by TXU Corp. Partios are hosted weekly as an informal networking opportunity  between company reps, students, alumni, and faculty. Contact Joy  Schaerrer,  713-348-5371. TOP   ::Prof.  Bala Dharan delivers a special lecture on "The  Enron Meltdown:  Was it an Accounting Failure, A Business Failure or  a Regulatory Failure? What Can We Learn?" from 7 to 9:30 p.m. on  Thursday, January 31, at Rm.124, Herring Hall, Rice University. Dharan  will discuss various issues and address these questions: Were there red  flags? Could we have spotted problems last year? Were there problems with  the application of accounting standards or with the standards themselves?  What were the accounting issues with SPEs and related parties? What can  we learn from this sad event that has destroyed $80 billion and robbed  thousands of employees of their jobs and life savings? To register, visit  http://jonesgsm.rice.edu/jonesgsm/EE_Special_Events.asp   or call 713-348-6060. TOP   ::Alumni  are invited to the next Alumni Happy Hour, to be held Wednesday, February  6, 2002 at The Gingerman located at 5607 1/2 Morningside Drive in the  Rice Village area. Look for the JGS Alumni meeting area, designated by  a blue and white Rice tabletop sign. The event, a chance to network with  fellow alumni, will be very informal. Please come after work (around 6  p.m.), bring friends and look for other JGSers! If you would like to participate  in planning these events or have additional input, please feel free to  contact either Brian Harry   (MBA '99) at Mira  Balakrishnan  (MBA '95) or the JGS  Alumni Office.  TOP   ::Mark  your calendars for the third annual All Class Alumni Reunion Event, scheduled  from Thursday through Saturday, February 28 - March 2, 2002. Chuck Watson,  CEO, Dynegy, is keynote speaker for the 27th Annual Alumni Dinner scheduled  for February 28. Participants will enjoy the annual student/alumni golf  tournament, new building tours, and the annual reunion reception on March  1. Alumni College and the Dean's Lunch will be held on March 2. For more  information, contact Deanna Sheaffer,   MBA '96, Director of Alumni Affairs, or visit the  Alumni web pages  TOP   ::The  Association of Rice Alumni Online Directory -- a web-based database of  alumni information -- will be launched this spring. Students should have  access to the directory once the online career component is implemented,  hopefully in the spring. Ann Greene ,  Director of Alumni Affairs, Rice University, spearheaded the project.  TOP    ::Alumni  are invited to participate as volunteers in Rice MBA and MBA for Executives  recruiting events scheduled for the spring. Your help in talking with  and interviewing prospective applicants will be greatly appreciated. Information  Sessions, Open Houses, and MBA Forums will be held at the Jones School  and other venues during the spring. Contact Stacie  Easterling,  Associate Director of Admissions, to volunteer for MBA  Program recruiting events: phone: 713-348-6154. To volunteer for MBA for  Executives recruiting events, contact Kay  Henry,  Director, MBA for Executives: phone 713-348-4731. Click  to view a list of recruiting events.  TOP   ::In  its second year, the Rice  Graduate Women In Business  already has reached a milestone in its  short history through its winning bid to become the next national headquarters  of the Graduate Women in Business. The Jones School's winning bid was  due primarily to the thoughtful and professionally presented plan to increase  membership says Lisa Kudchaker, President of Rice GWIB. Watch the Jones  School website for more details. TOP   ::Dean  Gil Whitaker was featured in the global business edition of the October  29 issue of Time magazine where he was identified as a "World  Beater: People to Watch in International Business."  Whitaker was chosen  for his efforts to diversify the school and pictured with a number of  black, Hispanic and women students. TOP   ::  Online ::  ::The  Jones Graduate School Class  Gift Challenge  is to get all classes to make class gifts to the Jones  School in honor of the Next Century Campaign and the 26th graduating class.  The class (or classes) with the highest participation rate will be honored  with a dinner in the new building. For more information, contact Maya  Houston,  phone 713-348-6145. TOP   ::Alumni  Moms and Dads may receive a  free Rice MBAby romper  for the newest addition to their family. Send  us a picture of your baby wearing the romper for the alumni website. TOP     ::Admissions  counselors  recruit, interview and evaluate prospective candidates.  An elite group of second year students, these counselors embody the collaborative,  diverse, and enriching experience that represents the Rice MBA. TOP   ::As  the Jones School celebrates its 25th anniversary, we invite you take a  retrospective look at the  last 25 years  and a peek into the future of the Jones School. TOP   ::Learn  about new  and upcoming initiatives and programs  at the school, and view artist  renderings of the new $60 million building, currently under construction.  TOP      @Jones:  News and Information from the Jones School, the Jones  School e-newsletter, is published monthly by the Public Relations  Department of the Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Management.  The Jones School website   is updated frequently and we encourage you to visit the site  regularly to get the latest news and information about new  initiatives and programs at the Jones School. To  submit items to be posted on the Jones School website, please  e-mail JGSMNews@rice.edu  or  call 713-348-6364.