The Center for Retailing Studies has selected nine students as 2005 M.B. Zale Leadership Scholars. Named for Morris (M.B.) Zale, founder of the well-known jewelry chain, the scholar program provides top students with learning opportunities that encourage their pursuit of retailing careers.

The 2005 scholars include: Heather Arhens, Abbey Barnett, Abby Evans, Aaron Gregg, Allison Rhode,Amy Shreeve, Lorian Thompson, Patrick Turner and Angela Weaver.

Students are selected Zale Scholars based on a grade point ratio, professional experience, demonstrated leadership potential and commitment to retailing as a career. The students participate in retailing opportunities, such as meetings with business executives, corporate visits and the New York City Market Tour, where they walk the floor with executives from such famous retailers as Bergdorf Goodman and Estée Lauder.

The scholars also organize a service project, “Teens in Retailing,” where they meet with area high school students to promote retailing as a career and conduct seminars on professional topics such as resume development.

The Mays MBA Program is featured in a newly released book, “Elite MBA Programs at Public Universities.” Featuring 12 high-quality MBA programs at public universities from around the nation, the book highlights innovation in graduate management education.

Mays’ program is featured in a chapter, “Aggies, Integrity, and MBAs: The Mays MBA Program at Texas A&M University,” written by Dr. Dan Robertson, former director of the Mays MBA program. Robertson currently serves as assistant dean of the Office of Graduate Studies.

Mays students, Fernando Rivera, Alexis Stock, Carol Lacey, Diana Dao and Brad McGrathrecently learned the importance of creating your own opportunities. During a recent visit to campus, entrepreneur Jim “Mattress Mack” MacIngvale, founder and owner of Houston-based Gallery Furniture, extended an invitation to a group of Honors students to attend the Master’s Cup tennis tournament at the Westside Tennis Club in Houston. Several of the students seized the opportunity and enjoyed the tournament from a suite and got a behind-the-scenes tour of the facility.

Mays’ Extreme Tax (or xTAX) team was among the top five finalists and will compete in the national competition Jan. 27-28. During the national case-based competition, sponsored by PricewaterhouseCoopers, teams addressed the fair taxation of Internet transactions.

Representing Mays at the finals in Washington, D.C. will be Chris Simpson, Jennifer Denton, Brent Snyder, David Gray and Andrea Cox. Each student will receive $3,000 plus a trip to Washington, D.C. They will vie for the Alexander Hamilton Cup with teams from DePaul University, Brigham Young University, the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Wisconsin.

The five finalists survived a competition that included approximately 250 teams from about 30 major universities and colleges, says Associate Professor of Accounting Dr. Michael Kinney, who advises the team.

“The students are looking forward to the trip to Washington D.C. both for the competition and the opportunity to meet some of the key D.C. insiders who influence and set tax policy for the country,” says Kinney.

Over the past few years, MBA programs nationwide have witnessed a dip in applicants. This issue is two-fold, says Mays MBA Program Director Carroll Scherer. Uncertain economic times have left potential students reluctant to leave their jobs. And many schools have tapped prospective full-time students from Generation X, who are now older, while the next group, the Millennials, isn’t quite ready.

To help generate interest in the Mays MBA Program and Executive MBA Program, a new referral program has been initiated. The goal is to attract potential students, while connecting former students to the program, explains Scherer. “From the beginning, I wanted to find ways to get alumni more involved in the program,” she says.

Essentially, any Texas A&M former student (not just business graduates) can refer an applicant to the MBA or EMBA program. The applicant must apply before May 31, be accepted and start classes in August.

Alumni whose referred students are admitted and matriculate to the MBA or EMBA programs will be eligible to win an enhanced definition plasma TV (EDTV) and receiver. A drawing will be held Sept. 1 for the EDTV, which was generously donated by Brian Dennison’s ’83 company, byd:sign.

For more information, visit the Mays MBA Program or Executive MBA Program.