Friday, May 25, 2012

US Real estate could be worth investing in again, says AAA

The real estate market in the US could be worth investing in again, according to AAA.

Boston, MA, May 26, 2012 - The real estate market in the US could be worth investing in again, according to Alternative Asset Analysis (AAA).

The alternative investment advocacy group said that recent figures show that house prices are increasing once more and that now could be a great time to invest in real estate in the US.

“The green shoots that are starting to show in the market indicate that the trend is for prices to rise steadily – suggesting that now is the time to grab a bargain,” stated Anthony Johnson, AAA’s analysis partner.

His comments followed the publication of new figures from the Commerce Department, which showed sales grew by 3.3 per cent in April, compared with sales in March. House building is also up, according to the figures, which showed that new housing starts increased to an annualized rate of 717,000 new homes per year, which is the largest number since 2008.

The house building trend is partly being driven by the fact that buyers will generally want to build new homes rather than move into ones that are being sold as a distressed sale, which are likely to be in disrepair.

AAA is keen to promote alternative investments to those who want to diversify their investment portfolios against the risks involved in stocks, shares and bonds. “These traditional asset classes do not offer the stable options they once did and investors are increasingly aware that these markets are extremely volatile and they want to offset this with alternative investments, such as real estate,” explained Mr Johnson.

AAA is an advocate of alternative and ethical investments of all kinds, but it is particularly interested in highlighting impact investing options and forestry investment through projects such as those run by Greenwood Management in Brazil.

Greenwood offers investors the chance to buy up sections of sustainable plantation land and receive returns in the medium-term while enjoying the benefits of an asset class that is not linked to other economic trends.

Contact:
Anthony Johnson
Alternative Asset Analysis
71 Commercial St
Boston, MA 02109-1320
617-939-9596

Online Microfinance Evaluation tool will help validate the industry, says AAA

Socially responsible investors are welcoming the launch of a new web-based analytics platform specifically designed to evaluate microfinance funds, claims AAA.

Boston, MA, May 26, 2012 - Socially responsible investors are welcoming the launch of a new web-based analytics platform specifically designed to evaluate microfinance funds, claims Alternative Asset Analysis (AAA).

Luxembourg-based LuxFLAG and US-based micro financing ratings agency MicroRate, have launched Luminis, which is the first product of its kind. Alternative investment advocacy group, AAA, said its launch follows a period of growth in the microfinance market and for socially responsible investments in general.

The online tool was revealed at the Luxembourg Fund Industry’s Responsible Investing Conference on 10 May. The platform features reports and profiles of the various funds, together with a range of research tools and information to help investors get to grips with impact investing. The team behind Luminis looks at factors including risk, performance and social impact. This data is then presented to users through in-depth fund reports and profiles.

AAA’s analysis partner, Anthony Johnson, welcomed the new tool stating: “The market for socially and environmentally responsible investment products is growing all the time and platforms like this help to enhance the validity of the sector.

“Investors are beginning to realise that making ethically sound investments and seeing healthy returns are not mutually exclusive.”

The CEO of MicroRate, Sebastian von Stauffenberg, meanwhile, stated, “We are excited to see how Luminis will facilitate investment into microfinance, ultimately improving financial access for billions of micro-entrepreneurs around the world."

AAA supports a range of impact investing options and is particularly keen to promote environmentally responsible alternative investments like sustainable forestry investment through firms like Greenwood Management. Greenwood operates a number of sustainable plantations in Brazil, helping to provide an alternative source of timber products for export and charcoal for the country's burgeoning steel industry.

Those who invest in Greenwood’s plantations receive a tangible asset in exchange for their cash in the form of a section of plantation land. Mr Johnson added “Timberland investments are popular at the moment as demand for forestry products in developing countries is rising alongside their economic strength.”

Contact:
Anthony Johnson
Alternative Asset Analysis
71 Commercial St
Boston, MA 02109-1320
617-939-9596

Harrisburg University President Leaving, Dr. Eric Darr Appointed Interim President of HU

After a decade as President and CEO of Harrisburg University of Science and Technology, Dr. Mel Schiavelli announced today that he is leaving the university he helped to establish to become executive vice president for academic and student services at Northern Virginia Community College effective July 1, 2012.

Harrisburg, PA, May 24, 2012 - After a decade as President and CEO of Harrisburg University of Science and Technology, Dr. Mel Schiavelli announced today that he is leaving the university he helped to establish to become executive vice president for academic and student services at Northern Virginia Community College effective July 1, 2012. 

Additionally, the Board of Trustees announced that it has appointed Eric Darr, Ph.D., interim president of the University effective July 1, 2012.

“It has been my honor to work with corporate, government, and community leaders, to help transform the concept of a four-year educational institution in Harrisburg they advanced in 1999 into a reality. This community has accomplished that which many thought could never be done. Working together, we have created an institution of higher learning that emphasizes the partnership between business and education to create workforce-ready graduates,” says Schiavelli.

Schiavelli guided the University from concept to its current $73 million Academic Center at 326 Market Street in Harrisburg. Founded in 2001, the University became the first science and technology focused comprehensive university chartered in Pennsylvania in a century.

During his tenure at the university, total student enrollment increased from 113 in August 2005 to 1,022 (approximately 400 full-time equivalent students) in September 2011. The University also completed a $40-million comprehensive fundraising campaign: CONNECT: The Campaign for Harrisburg University, where it raised nearly $45 million, was accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, and has been profiled nationally as a new model for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) higher education.

"Mel has taken the vision of the community and formed it into an innovative and effective new model for STEM education. The community is, and will forever be, grateful for creating this gem in our city. We wish him well in his return to Virginia and thank him for his decade of service to create Harrisburg University,” says Robert Dolan, Chair of the Harrisburg University Board of Trustees.

Schiavelli says any successes were a collective effort.

“None of these were personal accomplishments but they were accomplishments of a strong and dedicated team. I believe that there comes a time when it’s appropriate to ask others to continue the work,” said Schiavelli. “This move is a ‘homecoming’ for me because I served at the nation’s second oldest college—The College of William and Mary in Virginia for 26 years. More than half of my professional life was spent in the Old Dominion where I still have many friends and colleagues.”

Begun in 1964, Northern Virginia Community College is the largest educational institution in Virginia and the second-largest community college in the United States, comprising of more than 75,000 students and 2,600 faculty and staff members. NOVA is also one of the most internationally diverse colleges in the United States, with a student body consisting of individuals from more than 180 countries.

A search committee will be appointed by Harrisburg University’s Board of Trustees to launch a national search to identify and interview potential candidates. The Board of Trustees will make the final selection with the goal to appoint the president by July 1, 2013.

“Eric arrived here before we had students and he has helped to build and grow the University from idea to reality. We are confident that he will provide excellent leadership to Harrisburg University,” said Dolan. “He has served as executive vice president and provost since 2007, and he is familiar with all aspects of the institution and with its many external partners. He has had primary responsibility for our academic programs and the recent growth in our enrollments. His experience will be essential as he guides the university during this period of transition.”

Darr earned both a bachelor of science degree in Mechanical Engineering and a master of science degree in Industrial Psychology from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He also earned an MBA and a doctor of philosophy degree in Organizational Behavior and Theory from Carnegie Mellon University where he studied under Nobel Prize Winner and noted organizational theorist Herbert Simon.

While at the Anderson Graduate School of Management at the University of California at Los Angeles, he conducted research and consulted in over twenty multinational corporations including Arthur Andersen, Gemini Consulting, TRW Space and Electronics, Hughes Aerospace, Bank of America, Xerox, British Airways and Qantas Airlines.

During his career, he has developed and taught Doctoral and MBA courses in organizational learning, organizational change, organization design, process reengineering, business strategy and technology management. Further, he developed and taught executive education courses in measuring intellectual capital, corporate renewal, managing information technology resources, improving product development and creating organizational memory.

He has published numerous articles and book chapters on organizational learning, learning technologies and competitive advantage. He has been an invited speaker at universities in the United States, Austria, Great Britain, France, Australia and the Netherlands. His research has been supported by the National Science Foundation and the Center for International Business Education and Research at UCLA.

Prior to joining Harrisburg University he was Chief Operating Officer from 2000 until 2004 at KnowledgePlanet, Inc., a software company located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. From 1997 to 2000, Dr. Darr led Ernst & Young’s Knowledge Management Consulting Services.

Founded in 2001 to address Central Pennsylvania's need for increased opportunities for study leading to careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields, Harrisburg University is an innovative and ambitious private institution that produces graduates who provide increased competence and capacity in science and technology disciplines to Pennsylvania and the nation. Harrisburg University ensures institutional access for underrepresented students and links learning and research to practical outcomes. As a private University serving the public good, Harrisburg University remains the only STEM-focused comprehensive university located between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

For more information on the University's demand-driven undergraduate, graduate and certificate programs in applied science and technology fields, call 717.901.5146 or email Connect@HarrisburgU.edu

Contact:
Steven Infanti
AVP Communications
326 Market Street
Harrisburg, PA 17101
717.901.5146