In the driver’s seatThey are the corporate leaders. They make the tough decisions. They give the significant input. And they are women. Last fall, "Automotive News" published its second listing of the 100 Leading Women in the North American Auto Industry. Read More  |
Breaking down barriers Susan Cischke, SECS ’76, tells a story about her nephew’s first visit to the Chrysler Proving Grounds when she directed that facility in the 1990s. Cischke, now vice president of environmental and safety engineering for Ford Motor Company, is adamant that things have improved for women since she broke into the automobile industry some 25 years ago and believes equality is a journey, not a destination. Read More |
All about automobiles Marianne Fey does not adjust carburetors, manufacture accessories or work the sales floor at a dealership. But ask the executive vice president and group managing director for the giant marketing and advertising agency McCann-Erickson what she does for a living and she’ll tell you it’s all about autos. Fey, CAS ’80, grew up loving cars in Detroit’s eastern suburbs. At an early age, she became aware of the connection between the automobile industry and families in southeast Michigan. Read More |
Just in time Time — and timing — is of the essence for Carolyn Woznicki. As for time, there is just not enough of if. As global vice president of procurement and supply chain at Johnson Controls Inc. (JCI), for the Building Efficiency group and a mother of three young boys, every hour is important. In her meteoric rise to the top management level at Johnson Controls, Woznicki, MBA ’91, has gotten the job done, but always kept her priorities in order. Read More |
Fired up Back when Gregory Walterhouse, SBA ’77, decided on his business management and human resources major he knew this much: that no matter where and how far his career would take him from his service station job as a tire buster, the wheels he was ultimately looking to put in motion were going to take him to where people most needed him. Read More |
Gavel to gavel supporter Judge Leo Bowman, 51, hasn’t worn his Oakland University class ring for a long time now. It’s not that he has distanced himself from the university. In fact, the lifelong Pontiac resident is the current chair of the Oakland University Alumni Association board of directors, serves on the advisory board of the political science department and is constantly available to students considering a future at Oakland. Read More |
Shortchanged It’s an iconic image — a small child heading off for his or her first day of school. As that child steps through the classroom doors, letting go of a parent’s hand for the first time, he will be met with a world of new challenges — making friends, being away from home, meeting teachers and most importantly, learning how to learn. Read More |
Up and running Paul Rice may be the happiest NCAA Division I coach in Michigan: Before the first starter’s pistol was fired this season, Oakland University’s varsity track program had already won big while still in the blocks. That’s because OU, which has long been a competitor in cross-country running, broad jumped in with both feet, officially adding outdoor track to the school’s lineup. Read More |
Fascinated by fasteners Most people don’t spend much time thinking about nuts and bolts. But in the engineering building on Oakland University’s campus, there’s a lab on the first floor where a small, intensely dedicated group of students and professors spend their days analyzing nuts, bolts, joints and just about any other type of fastener you can imagine. Why? Because pretty much everything is connected by some kind of mechanism or adhesive. You just don’t think about it unless it fails. Read More |