Kern Named to Lead CTS Center for Experiential Education

Gary M. Kern, associate professor of decision sciences at Indiana University South Bend's School of Business and Economics, was recently named to the new position of academic director of the CTS Center for Experiential Education.

CTS Corp., through its foundation, donated $475,000 to the campus to create a new learning experience for business and economics students that takes them out of the classroom and expose them to business situations.

The CTS program will focus on funding for scholarships, an annual CTS student competition, internships, service learning, course development, travel, roundtable discussion and a resource library.

Kern has taught at IU South Bend since 1992. Before that he taught at the University of Notre Dame. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia, his M.B.A. from Case Western Reserve University, and his doctorate from IU Bloomington.

Kern said the gift to the school was very generous. "When I found out it would focus on experiential education, I was very excited. I have been a proponent of using realistic cases, individual projects and team projects in many of the courses I teach."

He said this is a "wonderful opportunity, as well as an important responsibility, for our school. I have seen the benefit and learning success that can occur when students are presented with the chance to learn through their own guided experiences."

This fall will be for planning the student activities in the field with local businesses.

In the next few weeks, Kern said, he has "a tentative action plan that I need to refine through discussions with my colleagues in the school. In addition, I want to contact local business leaders, and let them know about this new opportunity to partner with our school."

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8/14/07