How To Manage Technology Projects

As your business grows, you will likely find more ways to use technology to increase production (and hopefully, profits). Making the decision to enhance your technology environment in order to achieve your business objectives is a necessary milestone, but it is equally important to identify the scope and budget of your project before jumping into implementation.

This article explains a phased approach that will help you maximize your budget and provide the greatest results when considering a technology enhancement.

Phase I - Business Need

This initial phase is designed to help you determine if you have answered the "why" questions as it relates to your objectives. You should be able to clearly identify the business benefit (return on investment) for your potential project after completing this phase. Here are the steps that will guide you through this phase:

1. What is the problem/deficiency that needs your investment in time and money to be solved?

2. Does your business challenge absolutely require new or enhanced technology?

a. Do your employees require additional training with existing systems?

b. Can the challenge be solved by changing the workflow or business practices?

3. Once the problem is clearly defined and the solution points to technology improvements, a preliminary budget can be established.

Phase II - Budget & Scope

In Phase I we qualified our potential solution within the realm of technology and now we need to define the scope of the solution. Without defining scope, you will run the risk of your project growing out of control in both time and money. This is the phase where you should spend the time to clearly document the business requirements or "what" will be implemented.

1. Bring all the necessary players together to discuss the objectives of the project.

2. Determine how the problem that was identified in Phase I affects all key players.

3. Discuss how the problem can be solved with technology and be specific as it relates to your current business practices and workflows.

4. Document your findings and discussions.

5. Once the solution has been identified, you can present your documents to your preferred vendor(s) and obtain proposals or quotes.

Phase III - Pilot

Implementing any technology project can be challenging in that technology itself changes so quickly and your employees may have different expectations with the solution. A pilot phase is very effective to "test" the solution and confirm all expectations are met.

1. Once your vendor has been identified, you can request a pilot or trial solution be put into place for limited use to test results.

2. After the pilot solution is implemented, be sure to measure the effectiveness and verify that the problems in phase I are being solved.

Phase IV - Implementation

So now you have confirmed that the pilot is solving some or all the problems identified in phase I, now you are ready to rollout the full solution. It is very important to closely manage your vendor and be sure they are delivering what they promised within their proposal.

1. Create a project plan that consists of key milestones for the implementation of your solution.

A sample plan is shown below:

* Project Kick-off

* Budget review

* Set timelines for remainder of project

* Determine training requirements

* Technology install/enhancement

* Document the changes in your existing workflow

* Create a forum for employees to provide feedback during this process

* Develop a suite of tests that verifies the newly installed technology does not break any existing processes.

* Develop a suite of tests that verifies the newly installed technology meet the expectation of the proposed solution.

* Insure your timelines are being met and budget is not growing.

* Implementation complete

* Begin training

2. After the solution has been installed, consolidate all the documents and training materials in one repository for quick reference.

Phase V - Project Review & Closure

Now that the technology solution has been successfully implemented and everyone has been trained, you will need to setup measures to ensure that the solution is effective.

1. Create an anonymous survey for employees to provide feedback.

a. Survey questions should include: overall project success, training materials and responsibility impact.

2. Develop metrics that can measure the profit and/or efficiency that was achieved as a result of this project. This will help you identify the true return on investment.

3. Continue to refine training.

This phased approach for managing a technology project is meant to be a guide. There are many details within each phase that would be too lengthy to describe here. There are also many books that can assist with successfully managing any type of project, not only technology. Here is a website that is a great reference for project management.

Mike Echlin is a 20-year technology veteran who has helped many businesses optimize their use of technology. "Technology is an enabler for profits, period." http://thefloppydisk.blogspot.com
http://www.pmi.org

Biometric Technology, Are They New Toys For Children?

As a mother, I can truly understand how parents across the world feel about their children. The parent-child relationship is a universal one. It crosses languages, barriers, and borders and speaks the same language of love and protection. All parents have the same goal - to protect their children from the problems of the world. Obviously, most parents would like their children to grow to be model citizens and they would never want their children to be associated with anything criminal. Fair enough... but (and of course there is a but to everything, isn't there?) there are two sides to everything. The knife that we use to cut fruits and vegetables could also be used to kill! Does this mean that we should stop using it?

I believe it all depends on how people look at things. We can choose to be positive and to look at all the positive aspects of life, or we can choose to be pessimistic and to be threatened by every fly that passes by. (Flies can carry germs!)

Recently, I have been reading countless accounts of parents who are paranoid about fingerprinting their children, and so far I haven't been able to understand what the real issue at hand is. We have made numerous technological advancements to make our lives easier. We believe that now, in the 21st century, we are more civilized than man has ever been. So why are we not able to accept certain changes which come due to new technology? Is it because we are inherently pessimistic and cynical? I'm sure that when Marie Curie discovered Nuclear Physics her intentions were clearly not to create nuclear bombs. Humanity has benefited greatly from the development of nuclear science. Still, every time we hear the word nuclear we think of bombs and wars. It is the pessimistic nature of modern man that guides our thought process in this way.

It is true that fingerprinting has been used in the past for identifying criminals. However, the technology has evolved just as most technologies tend to do. It is rare to see someone today with a car phone or with a computer the size of an entire room. These technologies have evolved, and certainly for the better. Today, fingerprinting is generally used as a device to accurately identify people. In fact, there are a number of other biometric technologies available. Such technologies include signature readers, retina scanners and DNA samples. These have all been used to identify criminals at some point or another. But DNA is also used for many scientific tests and the study of DNA has advanced so greatly that medical science could not possibly think of doing away with it. If you were being treated for a sickness and your DNA needed to be analyzed for a possible genetic disorder, would you choose to die instead because DNA sampling is used to identify criminals? Of course this is an extreme example, but I doubt that anyone answered "Yes, of course!"

We show our children TV shows like Star Trek, The Jetsons, etc. All children have seen doors slide open and computers accessed by using fingerprinting technology "in the future". Why can't we realize that "the future" could be now, if we would only allow it to happen?

Parents are concerned that their child's fingerprint will be stored in some kind of database. To be honest, I was also concerned about this at first. However, I felt that I should gather extensive knowledge about the technology before I shot it down without a second thought. I have done online research and contacted reputable firms that offer biometric technology like M2SYS, Motorola, NEC (citations to these websites are given below) etc.

M2SYS they are an American reputable leading company in fingerprint biometric technology and most of their clients are private firms, school, gyms, banks, clinics, etc.
Motorola and NEC are big multibillionaire companies that produce high-fi biometric technologies for big government agencies all around the world.

These companies confirmed what really happens when an individual is fingerprinted. It basically breaks down into an initial enrollment process and an identification process. During initial enrollment, an individual scans his fingerprint for the first time. The biometric software recognizes certain unique, key points of this individual's fingerprint. These points are then converted into a series of numbers, or a binary string. Then, each time the individual scans their fingerprint for identification, an algorithm is used to determine if the binary numbers match up with the fingerprint. If they do, then voila! The software provides instant and secure identification.

If you are still scratching your head at this point, you are not alone - I was too. Most of us will never understand the entire science involved in biometric identification. But what is easy to understand is this: every software company uses a different algorithm. There is not some magic, all-encompassing fingerprint algorithm that every company uses within their software to identify people. This means that if you had two children attending schools in different districts that were both using fingerprint identification by different biometric companies, and you accidentally sent them to the wrong schools (Mondays...) there is no way that either child could be identified. Their prints are not stored in some common database. All that is ever stored is a binary number associated with points of their prints that can only be accessed by the company that has provided the biometric software. These companies are not even associated with the government. They are mostly private technology companies just looking to sell their software solutions.

Biometric technology can be beneficial to our children by improving the security at schools and increasing the overall safety of our children, all with binary numbers which are useless to anyone but the private biometric company. I would advise every parent to do some research into the realities of biometric identification and to unveil the myth behind the infamous fingerprinting technology.

Of course if we want to think negatively, nothing is one hundred percent foolproof. Computers make our lives easier but they can be hacked too. However, if the biometric software is hacked, the thief would be disappointed that all he would receive were the useless strings of numbers. As one company put it, it would be easier to steal fingerprint data from something a child had touched than to design an intricate reverse algorithm; all to retrieve a useless series of points of a fingerprint.

Life is full of possibilities if we think positively and are open to new technology. I, for one, am more interested in my child safely growing up in a world full of amazing technological advances that my generation could never have even dreamed. I believe that this world is possible if we don't hinder its progress by bashing advancements that we know nothing about. In the end, we may all have different opinions, but I am asking that we all gather knowledge about each new technology before we ruin a great possibility for our children.

http://www.m2sys.com http://www.nec.com

AUTHOR’S NAME: Nancy Williams
OCCUPATION: Administrative Associate

Why Indian Science Lagged Behind Western Science?

Science is the study of theory, its verification through observation and experimentation to verify those observations in the context of the theory. If the theory is verifiable through an experiment and a meticulous observation then it is successful otherwise not. Science includes various areas of study like physics, chemistry, mathematics etc. Science is passion of west but the reality is that it has its roots in India also. It would not be wrong to analyze the reasons about why India lagged behind while the west progressed ahead to left India behind in Science.

Why Indian science lagged behind the western science and why Western science is more advanced and genuine? Indian Science progresses like anything else through the early years of first century to eleventh century especially astronomy. While Europe was still living in the dark ages under pope and Christianity, Indians had already made progress in the mathematics and astronomical sciences to name a few. An Indian scientist was the first person to cite the idea that the earth revolved round the sun and not the other way round which was a remarkable achievement made thousand years before Copernicus proposed his heliocentric theory. Another Indian scientist proposed theorems on several geometrical figures and other mathematical proofs which seemed several years advanced. It was India which gave the world the idea of zero and numbers.The numbers concept was given by India which was later transferred to Arab World by Arab Scholar which later passed on to Europe. After having achieved so much remarkable scientific discoveries why Indian Science lagged behind?

Indian Science never saw the same trajectory of development as seen by western science during the renaissance period. The progress of Science in west began by Newton and other scientists. Indian society was Caste-ridden.Society had strata of castes where every Caste had its own hereditary profession. There were hard lines drawn between the castes and out of these boundaries no one could jump so if a merchant class worker do the work of art he has to do that work only even if he proposed some noble thoughts out of his mouth some heyday was a thorough nonsense as it was not considered his profession. Brahmans were the only privileged class to have some say in intellectual matters while others classes were left devoid of any such privilege. So in a way there was not such development of science was possible in ancient India where there was no freedom of exchange of thoughts and ideas. Once scientific development got broke in eleventh century A.D. it could not had been kept up in the later years.

Invention of printing press happened only in 13th century not in India but in China. It was certainly a misfortune for India that it was not invented earlier. Paper is more powerful medium of storing knowledge and passing on this knowledge to future generations, thereby building on the past knowledge. The Indian ancient scientists (as before mentioned names) could not have been able to do so. The knowledge once created could have been lost forever and could not be stored in a reliable and compact book. In contrast western science when in its nascent stages in the fourteenth century could have capitalized on the opportunity as paper was already invented. So a scientist like Newton or Copernicus or Galileo could have passed such knowledge in the form of books. What would have happened if newton could not have passed his knowledge in form of book called the Principia of mathematics or Copernicus would not have published his work of heliocentric theory? Certainly western science could not have progressed as it did. This knowledge in form of books could be then be used by future scientists to further the progress of the western science. Invention of paper cannot be cited as the sole reason for Indian science to not to have progressed. There are some more reasons which needs investigation as what was the real reason for Indian Scientific thought that originated around fourth century B.C. could not carry on to do what western science has achieved.

The Chinese traveler Hun-Tseng while visiting India saw well-established universities in modern Bihar. The University had well laid down monasteries and renowned teachers called gurus. The students lived in monasteries and taught in areas of literature, history, science etc. There was a proper medium of teaching and communication between the guru and the student. Many scholars visited University from various countries to learn higher education. There were some well-known teachers. Another University in modern Pakistan was also a great center of learning in north-western part of India. These were great institutes of learning and could have been great harbinger for cultivation of modern scientific thought for Indian in the coming time and could have placed the country on top of the pile in terms of scientific achievements and other knowledge frontiers. But what happened to such well-established centers of learning. The answer to this curious question is India was a hunting ground for plunderers. India was a rich country at that time with large wealth in form of gold and other precious ornaments. Many plunderers from North West invaded India and destroyed its well established establishments including the universities. There were invasions which created new rulers especially of barbaric nature who wanted to destroy such established learning systems and wanted to lay their own method of administration of the state. The ruins of great Indian Universities suggest how they got destroyed by these invasions of loot and destruction. Once destroyed these systems of learning could not be established on large-scale but prevailed on small-scale. Although these centers of leaning were not like the modern university system of west but they do had the potential to become great centers of learning. Western Science progressed with the aid of the universities system. These were the temples of higher learning where scholars could do research and publish their works. This system of universities could be considered as backbone of western science without which progress of science could not had been possible. Indian science could not have flourished without this education system which is obvious and sensible thought. So in a sense absence of such centers of learning was one of the determining factors for Western science having been triumphed while the Indian science which started so early could not had seen the bright day.

The broken string of the scientific thought after the eleventh century A.D. could be seen in the reigns of famous rulers like Akbar. There were experts for literature, music and other arts but not even a single expert on science. Besides that there was not any significant work on science written which can suggest that scientific temper prevailed at that time. Although there were enough works of arts like music, literature that could be cited easily. The rulers in the west had experts like Leonardo Da Vinci in Italy and Tyco Brahe was people whose works changed western science. Presence of such geniuses in the courts of rulers suggests how western scientific thought was given respect by rulers at that time when western science was just flourishing. So in a way ruling aristocracy played a great role in progress of western science in an indirect way by encouraging the scholars of such calibers to continue their work by providing the financial support. In India the situation was entirely different and thus one can consider that Science was entirely forgotten and the though of its progress in such a situation was out of question.

Science requires inventions like the steam engine or any other work of technology. The Indian climate is not so harsh and severe as compared to the western countries where cold and harsh weather demanded invention of technology. Requirement for clothes demanded invention of machines and other devices. Indian whether being good did not demanded any invention of technology. So climatic conditions were also had role to play. The demand to go long distances in harsh British winter led to the Invention of steam engine. The demand for clothes and other articles of use led to the establishments of factories. While in India the domestic demand of clothes, utensils and other items got fulfilled by small groups of private artists and workers who specialized in a particular work of art.

The scientific discoveries happened in form of patches of scientific discoveries but there was no clear trajectory of the progress of Indian science. The trajectory could had continued and completed but it broke in between by the factors as already cited like castes, the breakup of university system, royal patronage, climate, printing invention. In a way these factors suggest that Indian science could not have progressed as western science progressed. So in the end social, political and economic structural differences certainly made Indian science lagged behind the Western Science.

How To Make Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics Cool At School

Science and mathematics are not cool subjects, say students. Consequently, if these subjects are compulsory, students opt for an easier stream in secondary school and are less likely to transition to university science programs. In addition, female students are under-represented in areas such as mathematics, physics and astronomy. Around the world, the STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) are in grave trouble in secondary and tertiary institutions. But worse, STEM university graduates may not work in a field of their expertise, leaving STEM agencies and organizations to hire from a shrinking pool.

In 1995, 14 percent of Year 12 secondary school mathematics students studied advanced mathematics, while 37 percent studied elementary mathematics, according to the Australian Mathematical Science Institute. Fifteen years later, in 2010, 10 percent were studying advanced mathematics and 50 percent took the easier option of elementary mathematics. The Australian Mathematical Science Institute revealed that basic mathematics was growing in popularity among secondary students to the detriment of intermediate or advanced studies. This has resulted in fewer universities offering higher mathematics courses, and subsequently there are reduced graduates in mathematics. There have also been reduced intakes in teacher training colleges and university teacher education departments in mathematics programs, which have resulted in many low-income or remote secondary schools without higher level mathematics teachers, which further resulted in fewer science courses or the elimination of specific topics from courses. For some mathematics courses, this is producing a continuous cycle of low supply, low demand, and low supply.

But is it actually a dire problem? The first question is one of supply. Are universities producing enough quality scientists, technology experts, engineers, and mathematicians? Harold Salzman of Rutgers University and his research colleague, B. Lindsay Lowell of Georgetown University in Washington D.C., revealed in a 2009 study that, contrary to widespread perception, the United States continued to produce science and engineering graduates. However, fewer than half actually accepted jobs in their field of expertise. They are moving into sales, marketing, and health care jobs.

The second question is one of demand. Is there a continuing demand for STEM graduates? An October 2011 report from the Georgetown University's Centre on Education and the Workforce confirmed the high demand for science graduates, and that STEM graduates were paid a greater starting salary than non-science graduates. The Australian Mathematical Science Institute said the demand for doctorate graduates in mathematics and statistics will rise by 55 percent by 2020 (on 2008 levels). In the United Kingdom, the Department for Engineering and Science report, The Supply and Demand for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematical Skills in the UK Economy (Research Report RR775, 2004) projected the stock of STEM graduates to rise by 62 percent from 2004 to 2014 with the highest growth in subjects allied to medicine at 113 percent, biological science at 77 percent, mathematical science at 77 percent, computing at 77 percent, engineering at 36 percent, and physical science at 32 percent.

Fields of particular growth are predicted to be agricultural science (food production, disease prevention, biodiversity, and arid-lands research), biotechnology (vaccinations and pathogen science, medicine, genetics, cell biology, pharmagenomics, embryology, bio-robotics, and anti-ageing research), energy (hydrocarbon, mining, metallurgical, and renewable energy sectors), computing (such as video games, IT security, robotics, nanotechnologies, and space technology), engineering (hybrid-electric automotive technologies), geology (mining and hydro-seismology), and environmental science (water, land use, marine science, meteorology, early warning systems, air pollution, and zoology).

So why aren't graduates undertaking science careers? The reason is because it's just not cool -- not at secondary school, nor at university, nor in the workforce. Georgetown University's CEW reported that American science graduates viewed traditional science careers as "too socially isolating." In addition, a liberal-arts or business education was often regarded as more flexible in a fast-changing job market.

How can governments make science cool? The challenge, says Professor Ian Chubb, head of Australia's Office of the Chief Scientist, is to make STEM subjects more attractive for students, particularly females -- without dumbing down the content. Chubb, in his Health of Australian Science report (May 2012), indicated that, at research level, Australia has a relatively high scholarly output in science, producing more than 3 percent of world scientific publications yet accounting for only about 0.3 percent of the world's population. Australian-published scholarly outputs, including fields other than science, grew at a rate of about 5 percent per year between 1999 and 2008. This was considerably higher than the global growth rate of 2.6 percent. But why isn't this scholarly output translating into public knowledge, interest, and participation in science?

Chubb promotes a two-pronged approach to the dilemma: 1. science education: enhancing the quality and engagement of science teaching in schools and universities; and 2. science workforce: the infusion of science communication into mainstream consciousness to promote the advantages of scientific work.

Specifically, Chubb calls for creative and inspirational teachers and lecturers, as well as an increase in female academics, for positive role modeling, and to set science in a modern context. Instead of restructuring and changing the curriculum, he advocates training teachers to create ways to make mathematics and science more relevant to students' lives. Communicating about science in a more mainstream manner is also critical to imparting the value of scientific innovation. Chubb is a fan of social media to bring science into the mainstream and to change people's perception of science careers and scientists. Social media can also bring immediacy to the rigor, analysis, observation and practical components of science.

In practical terms, the recent findings on student attitudes to STEM subjects, their perception of scientific work, and the flow of STEM graduates to their field of expertise, may be improved by positively changing the way governments, scientists, and educators communicate science on a day-to-day level.

Contextual, situational, relevant science education is more likely to establish links between theory and practical application. This can be demonstrated through real-world applications, including science visits and explorations in the local environment, at all levels of education. Even university students should avoid being cloistered in study rooms, and be exposed to real world, real environment situations. Furthermore, science educators advocate the use of spring-boarding student queries, interests, and motivation into extra-curriculum themes that capture their imagination and innovation. Therefore, enabling students to expand core curricula requirements to include optional themes, projects, competitions, and activities chosen by individual students, groups, or school clusters lead to increased student (and teacher) motivation and participation. In addition, integrating and cross-fertilizing science with non-science subjects and day-to-day activities (e.g. the science of chocolate, sport science, technical drawings, artistic design, and clothing design) can powerfully place STEM subjects firmly into practical applications. "Scientists in residence" programs, in which local scientists work periodically in school and university settings, can inspire students and provide two-way communication opportunities. In addition, international collaborations between schools of different regions or countries through a range of technologies demonstrate and reinforce collaboration in the scientific workplace -- as a way to build a cadre of experts, exchange ideas, network, cooperate, economize, and create culturally diverse outcomes of excellence.

These approaches can provide a more realistic concept of the work scientists perform from a local to a global perspective.

Dr. Martina Nicolls has 25 years of experience as a humanitarian aid development evaluator and advisor for international governments on education, child labor, peace, science, community development, gender, and management. In addition to numerous academic articles, she is the author of The Sudan Curse; Kashmir on a Knife-Edge; and Bardot's Comet. For more information, please visit http://www.martinanicolls.net or http://sbpra.com/MartinaNicolls.

Exemplary Non-Profit and Higher Education Leadership - Blenda Wilson, PhD

Retired President, Nellie Mae Educational Foundation

This article is part of groundbreaking leadership research has received extensive endorsements and enthusiastic reviews from well-known prominent business, political, and academic leaders who either participated in the study or reviewed the research findings. A total of sixteen leaders were interviewed on the subject of "Leadership and Overcoming Adversity."

Dr. Wilson overcame multiple adversities. These included significant race, gender, and age discrimination. Blenda's first experience with major discrimination was during her high school years in New Jersey. Though Blenda was in the National Honor Society, Wilson's high school guidance counselor totally refused to discuss or help Blenda get into a college. Blenda's comment was "Actually, she told me to 'take a typing class'... then said, 'You're nice looking, and you might be able to become a secretary. '"

Wilson just ignored the "mean" counselor and she directly contacted several colleges for admission and scholarship information. Wilson was accepted to all of the colleges she applied to, including major prestigious universities, such as the "Seven Sisters." However, major colleges only offered one-year scholarships with a series of renewals. Blenda wanted to get a full four-year scholarship to ensure that she could complete her college education. Cedar Crest College guaranteed Blenda four years of tuition scholarship money, a travel budget and a job. So, Blenda went to Cedar Crest College and got her degree.

She did not allow anything to stop her from receiving her education. After Blenda graduated from Cedar Crest College she earned a Master's degree in Education from Seton Hall then completed a Ph.D. in Higher Education from Boston College.

Before she earned her Ph.D. and launched her higher educational leadership career, Blenda experienced gender and age discrimination from African American males, both from within her organization and the local community. Though Wilson was clearly more qualified and had more education than her male competition many people were vocal in their opposition to her being appointed as the Executive Director of the Middlesex County Economic Opportunity Corporation and the Head Start Program. Blenda Wilson pointed out, "The African American men in the community were upset that a woman would get this key position... One of the criteria was that they wanted someone with a Master's degree. I had one. None of the African American men did." Blenda experienced age, and gender discrimination and prejudice from from black men and white people.

Blenda Wilson shared that taking a leave from her local high school teaching position to become the Executive Director of the Middlesex County Economic Opportunity Corporation, "actually changed my life. I started doing the Head Start program... This was all in the 1960s, with the "War on Poverty," the Office of Economic Opportunity. I [Wilson] was going to change the world."

In 1969, after earning her Ph.D., Dr. Wilson began her career in higher education administration at Rutgers University. Then, from 1972 to 1982 Blenda "was youngest Senior Associate Dean in the Graduate School of Education at Harvard," where, once again, she encountered age discrimination.

Dr. Blenda Wilson was the First Vice President for Effective Sector Management at Independent Sector (1982 to 1984). Independent Sector is a nonpartisan coalition of approximately 600 organizations that lead, strengthen, and mobilize charitable communities.

While serving in the governor's cabinet as Executive Director of the Colorado Commission on Higher Education, she created a plan (that became law in 1985) advocating for more efficiently organizing higher education within the state.

Dr Wilson was the first woman to head a four-year higher education institution in the state of Michigan becoming Chancellor of the University of Michigan's Dearborn campus from 1988 to 1992. Wilson was widely recognized for her outreach to Dearborn's Arab-American community and Detroit's African-American community.

During Dr. Wilson's tenure as president of California State University, Northridge, from 1992 to 1999, Dr. Wilson enacted a number of strategic plans to better serve the populations of the San Fernando Valley. Wilson also led the University in the enormous task of rebuilding of the California State University after the devastating 1994 Northridge earthquake.

Dr. Blenda Wilson was a former Chair of the prestigious American Association of Higher Education. Wilson was the first woman to Chair the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston and was Deputy Chair of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston where she served on the Board of Directors from 2003 to 2006. Dr. Wilson has served on the Board of Directors of numerous non-profit corporations such as the Getty Museum, The College Board, and has recently served as the interim President of her undergraduate Alma Mater, Cedar Crest College.

Dr. Wilson served as the first President and Chief Executive Officer of the Nellie Mae Education Foundation from 1999 to 2006. The Nellie Mae Education Foundation, established in 1998, is New England's largest public charity dedicated to improving academic achievement for underserved communities. During her seven-year tenure Dr. Blenda Wilson was a very successful CEO at the Nellie Mae Education Foundation.

Under Dr. Wilson's leadership, the Nellie Mae Education Foundation (NMEF) distributed more than $80 million in grants to various educational institutions and to non-profit organizations to improve the access to college for deserving students. The NMEF was established to promote accessibility, quality, and effectiveness in education from preschool through postsecondary levels, especially for under-served populations. The Nellie Mae Education Foundation has net assets of approximately $400 million, making it one of the largest foundations in New England, and the largest focused exclusively on improving higher education.

Dr. Wilson has received honorary doctorate degrees from more than 25 colleges and universities, including Cedar Crest College, Rutgers, the University of Massachusetts, Brandeis University and Boston College. Wilson has served on the boards of trustees of Boston College and Union Theological Seminary, the board of directors of the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems, the board of directors of Higher Education Resource Services, and the boards of Boston's "After School and Beyond," Boston College, and Federated Dorchester Neighborhood Houses. Wilson currently serves on the Board of Directors of Medco Health Solutions.

Dr. Blenda Wilson has an impressive lifetime track record of effectively dealing with complicated issues of education policy. Dr. Blenda Wilson still takes time out of her busy schedule to mentor and coach select prospective female leaders.

The Dr. Blenda Wilson story shares a lifetime struggle against adversity, especially age, race, and gender discrimination, and is an excellent example of a prominent successful leader who overcame adversity!

Howard Edward Haller, Ph.D.
Chief Enlightenment Officer
The Leadership Success Institute
http://www.TheLeadershipSuccessInstitute.com
HowardEdwardHallerPhD@gmail.com

Howard Edward Haller, Ph.D., is an accomplished serial entrepreneur, successful serial intrapreneur, seasoned senior corporate executive, university professor, university board trustee, former university board president, academic scholar, an award winning published author, screenwriter (Member of the Writer's Guild of America, west), and Professional Speaker (Member of NSA) delivering Keynote Speeches and Seminars on Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Intrapreneurship, Servant-Leadership, Leadership and Adversity, and Innovation.

Dr. Haller is currently the Chief Enlightenment Officer of The Leadership Success Institute. Dr Haller is a noted Corporate & College Keynote Speaker, and highly-respected Executive Coach/Mentor to both Corporate, and Non-Profit, Senior Executives in the US and Canada.

He is a well-known Professional Speaker, Published Author, Entrepreneurship Mentor, Senior Executive Coach, and Intrapreneurship Coach. Professor Haller is currently active as a serial entrepreneur, involved in several ventures ranging from super high definition sign advertising to internet marketing training. Dr Haller serves on the Board of Directors of companies, including Internet Marketing Training Centers, Inc., American Realty Capital Advisors, Inc, CPM, LLC, and California State University Northridge Foundation Trustee. Dr. Haller is a Life Member of the Will Rodgers Foundation for Motion Picture Pioneers.

Dr. Howard Edward Haller is an award winning writer, academic scholar, and author of two published books: "Leadership and Adversity: The Shaping of Prominent Leaders" 2008 and "Intrapreneurship Success: A PR1ME Example" 2009, both published by VDM Verlag Dr Muller AG & CoKG. (Both books are available online at Amazon in the US, Canada, UK, and Germany)

Premier Internet Marketing Education - 10 Tips on How to Find the Best Internet Education

Where do you go to get the internet marketing education that will truly make the difference? The difference in your understanding, or (if you're building a business) the difference in how you approach the marketing of your business, or perhaps your job (if you're responsible for directing the marketing tactics for a brand)?

I personally spent 12 months clicking around on the internet in search of that right company that provides the education and the tools to become a Master Internet Marketer. And, also provides the environment where you learn to start implementing, and start taking action on what you are learning. And, as a result, start making the difference and start achieving your goals.

And, why did I do this (click around for 12 months, that is)? Because, I believe in affiliating with the-best-of-the-best and it does take time to find just the right source that will work for your needs.

SO - Let me help you save all that time and share with you the steps, the thought processes, on how to find that right internet educational resource that will work for your online needs and goals.

[First, let me preface, however, the following steps with one thought. I know Internet Marketing is now being served up on the college campuses. Brilliant. If I was headed off to college, I would take what I could on the subject. Even, make Internet Marketing my major. But, I chose to learn (not from books), but from the leaders in the industry, who are making it happen and producing the results. Because at the end of the day - it's results]

One more comment:

As I've stated in other articles, knowing internet marketing is rapidly becoming the most valuable commodity you can own in today's global economy. Learning how to leverage the internet, is becoming the most prized skill set you can capture. Internet growth has increased 362% in just the last 9 years, and reaches over 1.6 Billion people worldwide. And, the internet growth is expected to continue, since we're only at a 24.7% world penetration level.

OK. So - once you've decided to get out of your comfort zone and to start learning this stuff, where do you go to get the education you want? What do you look for? How do you go about it all? What should you be asking before you decide if this is the company where you can really learn to become an Internet Marketer (or for some, A Master Internet Millionaire Marketer)?

10 Steps To Help You Find The Right Internet Marketing Education:

1) MINDSET:

Everything starts here. Entrepreneurial vision. Faith. The ability to see the potential of the future before it's here. "Can Do" attitude. A level of perseverance and tenacity against all odds and challenges. The attitude that "the buck stops here" and you take accountability for the results. Ability to accept never ending change, because we are in an Internet Evolution.

So - because of the importance of "mindset", find that resource that not only includes brilliant marketing minds on the internet, but also provides some of the industry's top mindset coaches. Make certain your curriculum includes subject matter on the importance of leadership and developing leaders.

As you learn internet marketing and you become more visible online, you will begin to assume the role of a leader. And, it's understood, not everyone comes with the ready made entrepreneurial visionary mind. So - go out and learn it. One of the best ways to develop a successful mindset, is to spend time studying other successful entrepreneurs.

Make certain you are aware of your associations. Your network of people you surround yourself with, will determine your financial networth. Associate with leaders. Once you are clear on your goals and the person you want to become, your daily actions will reflect this.

2) YOUR "WHY":

What is your reason for learning internet marketing? This is huge. You need your reason in order to keep you motivated through the challenges. Take some time on this step if you need.

You may of heard this saying: What you believe, is what you do, and what you do, determines your lifestyle. If you believe in the power of the internet, then you will stop everything right now to study/learn/implement. If you study/learn/implement, then you will have the possibility of a lifestyle change.

It all starts with your "why."

3) YOUR INVESTMENT:

You usually invest Time, Money and/or Energy. You can start out learning right now with little (or no) money. You do not need the big bucks to spend on your education in the beginning. Stay within your budget each step throughout your education.

As you progress, you will naturally want to expand your knowledge which then may require (if you desire) a specialist where your investment in money will start to kick in. The beautiful advantage of marketing "online" versus "offline" is money. You can learn the "online" marketing tactics that are FREE.

So - look for that educational resource that provides within their Internet Curriculum an education on the FREE internet marketing tactics, such as: Social Media (Facebook, My Space), Article Marketing, Press Releases, Blogging, Forum Marketing, Social Bookmarking, Squidoo, Hub Pages, Video Marketing, Keyword Research...

And, make certain the curriculum also provides the marketing masterminds (that I call the "specialists") in such areas, as: Google, SEO, Copywriting, Personal Branding...

4) MISSION STATEMENT:

What is your Mission Statement, and is the internet educational resource inline with your Mission Statement. This may be a difficult question to answer for some. But if you are building a business, and have a mission statement, then having that educator with like type mission/philosophy helps to drive your education along the same lines as your goals.

Let me give you an example, if I may:

My Mission Statement: To help others throughout the world realize you do have options, and to help you understand those options that are available to you (over & beyond the corporate arena), and to guide you to where you can create & develop your own Financial Security - Online.

I then took my mission statement, which is based on Financial Security, and found the internet educational resource, that is ALSO based around: 1) Financial Security and 2) Education for the next wave of Master Internet Millionaire Marketers.

The reason for this approach is because it helps you to be in-line philosophically with who you are working with, learning from and growing your future with.

5) ETHICS/INTEGRITY:

This may be tough to determine. Try to get a sense of the company's business model and business ethics. Find the company's mission statement and ask if it is inline with your mission, or how you may want to approach your marketing education. And is the company's branding and message consistent and uphold ethics.

So - is the marketing and branding of the company you are considering for your education, inline with how you want to ultimately approach your marketing? Can you see value that is being provided?

6) MARKETING POSITIONING:

Do they teach the type of marketing that you embrace. Are the company leaders/top producers "buying leads" or does the company have an extensive marketing curriculum being taught by the current Internet Mastermind Marketers. Or, is the education coming strictly from one source. One individual.

7) COMPREHENSIVE GLOBAL/INTERNATIONAL CURRICULUM:

If you are on the internet you have the potential to market globally. What you want to ask yourself, is if the curriculum is translated into languages worldwide where the opportunity to be an Internet Marketer is being provided to people throughout the world, no matter the language.

You want to look for a curriculum that is providing a new skill set to anyone, anywhere in the world, and educates everyone how to market online - whether that person has a product or business already, or not. A company's curriculum that embraces this philosophy is inline with providing true value to others.

8) LONGEVITY:

How long does this company/curriculum plan on being around. Are they here to stay. The internet arena is constantly evolving and changing, and it's nice to feel comfortable that who you are working with has a mission/game plan to be here for 5+ years.

9) CLICK-BY-CLICK TRAINING FOR THE NEWBIES:

I have to admit, this approach to training really helped me. Does the curriculum provide "click-by-click" training. Can you can see "click-by-click" how things online are actually set up. This really helps to cut down the learning curve. It is too time intensive to learn from a book.

And, does the curriculum include "in the office of a top producer" training, so you see "how" the leaders are getting the results, now.

10) Staying Current With The Ever Evolving Changes:

A curriculum that is staying on top of the evolving changes by bringing onto the staff the marketing masterminds to keep the students current (i.e. SEO, Google).

Conclusion:

We are in an internet evolution with changes and growth occurring very quickly, so you need to get out of the books, and onto the computer screen. You want to find the leaders, the top producers, the internet marketing masterminds in the internet marketing industry.

So, pick wisely based on your goals and marketing style you are comfortable with.

Get the education you need to learn to leverage the internet. To understand more, give yourself a few minutes to get to know and understand the system that will get you the premier internet marketing education. The system that you can take with you for the rest of your life, and apply the knowledge you gain, to any business you may be involved with. We are currently educating people in over 160+ countries, translating into over 40+ languages. Take a few minutes and invest in your education: [http://meetpenelopecox.com]

I am accessible, so feel free to personally contact me to set up a free 20-minute consultation on concerns and challenges you may be experiencing in finding the internet marketing educational resources that work for your goals:

Penelope Cox

Internet Marketer Solutions Provider

816-442-8638 (United States CTZ)

MeetPenelopeCox@gmail.com