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Before CSUB
Prior to joining academia, Dr. Ropp was employed as an economist/project director of a Beverly Hills consulting firm and as an economist/business analyst for Dun & Bradstreet (before attending law school).  He was then associated with a Los Angeles law firm [focus: Antitrust and Trade Regulations (plaintiff cases)], followed by employment with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) [focus: Business Transactions, International Law**, Government Contracts & Procurement Law, and Negotiations], and Raytheon Company [focus: Business Transactions (including International Business Transactions**), Contracts (including Government Contracts & Procurement Law), and Negotiations].  He was also president of an international environmental engineering firm.  During his career Dr. Ropp completed specializations in Contract Management from UCLA, and in Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) from Harvard Law School, Program on Negotiation.  Following retirement he returned to California from the East Coast and joined the CSUB faculty in 1996.

[**NOTE: Major International Law and Transaction activities with government and business entities in Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Poland, Peoples Republic of China, Thailand, Spain, and Israel.]

SCHEDULE FOR SUMMER QUARTER (2008)

Courses 
BA 370: Legal Environment of Business (On-Line)
MSA 527: Contracting and Outsourcing (On-Line)

SCHEDULE FOR FALL QUARTER (2008)

Courses
MGMT 430: Negotiation, ADR, and Conflict Management (Tuesday & Thursday: 3:10 - 5:15)
PPA 450, 550, & BA 477: Contract Management (Thursday 6:00 - 10:00)

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TYPICAL ANNUAL SCHEDULE

CSUB School of Business and Public Administration

• Teaches two on-campus classes per Quarter Term (total of six classes per school year).
• Five hours of office time for students per week during entire school year.
• Director of Business and Education Center
• Participates in a myriad of university and community activities (see below).

• Teaches additional "class-load" of one Internet based courses per school year for the Environmental Resource Management Program (Department of Economics and the Extended University).
• Teaches two additional Internet based courses during the Summer Quarter for the Environmental Resource Management Program and the Master of Science in Administration degree.

Classes Taught (at various times during last eight years):

Legal Environment of Business
Business and Society
Environmental Law I
Environmental Law II
Negotiation, ADR, & Conflict Management
Special Topics (Yucca Mountain Dilemma)
Administrative Law (Master of Public Administration course)
International Business Transactions
International Export Trade Facilitation 
Environmental Perspectives in the Classroom (School of Ed.-Masters' Program in Educational)
Principles of Management
Business Law
Organizational Behavior
Contracting and Outsourcing (Master of Science in Administration course)
Contract Management (Master of Public Administration and Master of Business Administration course)
Various Internship Programs
Virtual Enterprise/Jr. Achievement (Community Project)
(Classes taught in live classroom, Instructional Television (ITV), and via the Internet (Distant Learning On-Line**) ).
[** On-Line classes for Environmental Resource Management and the Master of Science in Administration Degree Program have included numerous students from around the world.]

Recent Publications:

Research Interest:
1. Critical Thinking Techniques Applied to Business Transactions
2. Legal Issues and Alternative Dispute Resolution Techniques of Business Transactions via Internet and WEB usage

Refereed Journal Articles:
1.  Ropp, Donavan, Brian McNamara & Henry Lowenstein. “Property Rights in Cyberia; A Study of Intent and Bad Faith.” Journal of the International Academy for Case Studies, Volume 14, Number 7, 2008 (ISSN: 1078-4950).
2.  Ropp, Donavan, Brian McNamara & Henry Lowenstein. “Property Rights in Cyberia; A Study of Intent and Bad Faith.” Journal of the International Academy for Case Studies, Instructors’ Notes, Volume 14, Number 8, 2008 (ISSN: 1078-4950).
3.  Ropp, Donavan, Brian McNamara & Henry Lowenstein. “Typosquatting, An Innovative Business Practice: The Law Does Not Agree.” Journal of Strategic E-Commerce, Volume 3, Number 1, 2005 (ISSN 1554-5393). 

Other Journal Articles:
1.  Ropp, Donavan. “Everyone is Doing It! Negotiation, That Is.” Kern Economic Journal, 2007 Third Quarter, California State University, Bakersfield, Department of Economics. (http://www.csub.edu/kej/Publish/2007-3Journal.pdf).
2.  Ropp, Donavan. “A Thousand Barrels a Second” (Book Review). Kern Economic Journal, 2006 First Quarter, California State University, Bakersfield, Department of Economics. (http://www.csub.edu/kej/Publish/2006-1Journal.pdf).

 Other Paper Presentations Including Proceedings:
1. Ropp, Donavan, "Update on Briefing in a World of Accelerating Change and Intensified Complexity," 28th Annual International Conference on Critical Thinking (Topic: The Art of Teaching for Intellectual Engagement), Foundation for Critical Thinking, UC Berkeley, July 2008.
2.  Ropp, Donavan. “Briefing in a World of Accelerating Change and Intensified Complexity.” Western Academy of Legal Studies in Business, 2008 Annual Conference.  Monterey, CA, April 4 – 6.  
3.  Ropp, Donavan, Brian McNamara & Henry Lowenstein, “Property Rights in Cyberia – A Study of Intent and Bad Faith: Case Study in the Adventures of Creating Property Rights in Cyberia.” Allied Academies International Internet Conference, 2006 Proceedings.
4.  Ropp, Donavan, Brian McNamara & Henry Lowenstein. “Typosquatting, An Innovative Business Practice: The Law Does Not Agree.” International Internet Conference, Allied Academies, 2005 Proceeding. 

Refereed Journal Article Publications Between 2000 & 2004  
Ropp, Donavan & Brian McNamara.  “Domain Name Game Capers and ADR Adventures in Real Time: A Case Study.” Journal of the International Academy for Case Studies, Volume 8, Number 4, 2002.  Presented at the Allied Academies International Conference by Donavan Ropp.  Received “Distinguished Research Award.”  Presented by Donavan Ropp

Ropp, Donavan & Brian McNamara. “Use Tax as a Method of Internet Taxation Avoids Throwing Constitutional Jurisprudence Out with the Bathwater.”  Academy of Legal, Ethical and Regulatory Issues, Procdeedings.  Presented at the Allied Academies International Conference by Donavan Ropp.

Ropp, Donavan & Brian Mc Namara.  “Environmental Issues Resolved in Cyberia.”  International Business & Economic Research Journal, Proceding.  Accepted for full publication based on recommendations of two independent reviewers and the editors opinion.  Presented at the International Applied Business Research Conference by Donavan Ropp.  Written by Donavan Ropp and edited by Brian McNamara.

Ropp, Donavan & Brian Mc Namara.  "Playing Catch-Up with Mutual Assent in Business Transaction in Cyberspace."  Accepted for full publication based on recommendations of two independent reviewers and the editors opinion.  Presented at the International Applied Business Research Conference by Donavan Ropp.  Written by Donavan Ropp and edited by Brian McNamara.

Ropp, Donavan & Brian McNamara. “Whose Domain Name? ADR at Work on the Internet – A Case Study,” has been accepted for publication in the International Business & Economics Research Journal for the Fall, 2002 issue. (Western Academic Press, PO Box 620760, Littleton, Colorado 80162)

Ropp, Donavan & Brian McNamara. “The Domain Name Gold Rush Meets ADR,” Published in the Proceedings of the Allied Academies International Conference, Academy for the Study of Business Law, Nashville, Tennessee, April 10 – 13, 2002, Volume 6, Number 1, Page 57. (Allied Academies, Inc., PO Box 2689, Cullowhee, NC, 28723) [Donavan Ropp presented paper at international conference]

Ropp, Donavan & Brian McNamara. “Adventures in Cyberspace: The Status of Cybersquatting, Law, and ADR” received Best Paper Award at the International Applied Business Research Conference, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, March 14 – 19, 2002. [Donavan Ropp presented paper at international conference]

Ropp, Donavan & Brian McNamara. "Let's Make a Deal- Cyberspace to the Rescue," Extended paper accepted for publication in the Allied Academies’ Journal of the Academy of Studies in Business Law for the Fall, 2002 issue. (Allied Academies, Inc., PO Box 2689, Cullowhee, NC 28723)

Ropp, Donavan & Brian McNamara. "Let's Make a Deal- Cyberspace to the Rescue," Published in the Proceedings of the Allied Academies International Internet Conference, Academy for the Study of Business Law, July 16-30, 2001, Volume III, Page 23. (Allied Academies, Inc., PO Box 2689, Cullowhee, NC 28723)

Recent Foreign University Activities
1. 2nd International Academy on Critical Thinking, New College, Oxford University, England, September 2008. Topic: Teaching Critical Thinking and Building Community.
2. Invited Guest Lecturer for Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Facultad de Ciencias Economicas y Estadistica (Rosario, Argentina), Summer, 2007.  
Topic: “Ethical Principles in Conducting International Business Transactions in a “Flat” World.”  [Series for graduate and post-graduate levels.]
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Community Activities

Member of the Board of Directors of the Weill Institute, Small Business Development Center (SBDC): The Weill Institute is sponsored by Bakersfield College and has been designated as the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for Kern, Mono, and Inyo Counties.  This project is also funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Member of the Board of Directors of the E-Business Center: Formed as an alliance in a joint effort with the Weill Institute, Small Business Development Center, The Business Research and Education Center of CSUB, and Kern County through a demonstration grant from the California Technology, Trade, and Commerce Agency, that promotes and advances E-Business activities through a business incubator program in Kern, Kings, and Tulare Counties.   The E-Business Center is now in its third year of operation.

Member of Advisory Board of the Kern County Export Program.  This program is composed of corroborative partnerships and strategic alliances with service providers and organizations that support and provide various tasks for this effort: Taft College, Export Assistance Office of the U.S. Department of Commerce, Senior Corps of Retired Executives, Weill Institute Small Business and Development Center, and the Business Research and Education Center and funded by a grant from the State of California Industry Driven Regional Collaborative (IDRC).

Member of the Economic Development Vision 20/20 Task Force (Core Group) of the Greater Bakersfield Vision 20/20 Project:

Member of the San Joaquin Valley Access: Connecting Kern County Workshop, Education Sector

Assist, coordinate, and direct CSUB School of Business and Public Administration students in instruction of economics at local high schools and middle schools for the Jr. Achievement Program.

Assist, coordinate, and direct CSUB School of Business and Public Administration students in advising the Virtual Enterprise Program students at Bakersfield High School on their virtual and reality project of establishing and operating "The Early Bird Coffee House" business (operated by high school students) on the Bakersfield High School campus.

Faculty advisor for an internship project for researching and performing a feasibility study for the Bakersfield Fox Theater Foundation (Restoration Project) relating to additional uses of the facility.  A second  independent study was completed for grant proposal activities relating to Fox Theater restoration projects.

Faculty advisor for student projects, in cooperation with the U.S. Small Business Administration, in providing “strategic plans” to small businesses in Kern County.

Faculty advisor for the "Kern County Internet Task Force" by performing a statistical study in prioritizing Kern County data that is of interest to businesses in Kern County.
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Community/University Services:

Instructor for “Virtual Enterprise Day.”  Taught three classes of high school students from participating Kern County High Schools’ Virtual Enterprise Program on topic of “Business Structure and Operations.” (October 10, 2007)

Volunteer Instructor for Bakersfield High School (BHS) Virtual Enterprise classes from 2004 through 2008.  This year BHS won several awards during the National Virtual Enterprise Competition held in New York City, including: 2^nd place for Best Business Plan; 3^rd place for Best Website; and Honorable Mention for Best Booth.  Competition included hundreds of student businesses from around the United States and throughout Europe.  BHS also won State of California competitions as follows:  3^rd Best Video Commercial & 2^nd Best Website in the Long Beach Trade Fair; and 2^nd Best Catalog Sales Presentation & 3^rd Best Salesmanship in the Bakersfield Trade Fair.

Instructor for “CSUB Going to College Day.”  Taught three classes of 4^th grade students from Title I Kern County Elementary Schools on the topic of “Economics in the Market Place.” (May 8, 2007)

Consultant to Mercy Hospital, Bakersfield: Held several seminars for administrative staff members relating to negotiation, Alternative Dispute Resolution, and conflict management.

Judge for Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) regional competition (December 2006):  SIFE is a university student oriented organization promoting concepts like market economics, entrepreneurship, and business ethics through outreach projects.  There are various national competitions among compasses, including the one held at CSUB.  

Reader and Judge, with two other CSUB-BPA faculty members, for ethics competition of local Fresno County businesses sponsored by the Fresno Better Business Bureau.

Reader for CSUB-BPA submission of ethics paper for regional competition held at Loyola-Marymount University.

Moderator/Facilitator for Covey conference/workshop held in Yosemite (June 2005).  
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Presentations and Community Instruction (During past four years)

Guest Speaker for the annual convention of the California Grand Jury Association (2007) speaking on the role of the university in providing internships for Grand Jury participation

Consultant instructing the19 member Kern County Grand Jury panel in techniques of negotiation and conflict management.

Instructed two, six week sessions of "Plain Law in Plain English" for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (CSUB Extended University), for senior citizens.

Consultant instructing 10 session series for the County of Kern and County of Tulare on project management, negotiation, and conflict management.

Conducted three breakout sessions in the last three years for the annual Bakersfield Small Business Conference addressing topics in "Internet Law" and "Negotiation and Conflict Management in Business Transactions."

Conducted breakout session at the annual Bakersfield Women's Conference in "Establishing an Internet Business."

Speaker/Presenter at three national conferences relating to Internet Distance Education programs for National Science Foundation, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Government Conference on the Environment, Partnership for Environmental Technology Education.

Guest Speaker at the Elder College Program for active senior citizens sponsored by CSUB addressing programs of the CSUB School of Business and Public Administration, the Business Research and Education Center, the Kern County Export Program Facilitator Internship, and the Family Business Institute.

Luncheon Speaker: Southwest Bakersfield Kiwanis Club on "Planning for the Family Business."

Luncheon Speaker: East Bakersfield Rotary Club on "Planning for the Family Business."

Luncheon Speaker: Bakersfield Twelve-Noon Club on "Technology, Business, and the Future."

Luncheon Speaker: SIRS Club on "Technology, Business, and the Future."

Breakfast Speaker: Shafter Rotary Club on "Technology, Business, and the Future."

Luncheon Speaker: PEO Sorority on "Technology, Business, and the Future."

Guest on KERN radio program "Strictly Business" on four occasions talking about family businesses.

Guest on KGET radio program "Morning Show" on two occasions talking about family businesses.

Guest on KGET-TV (NBC affiliate) "Early Morning Show" on three occasions talking about family businesses.

Interview Broadcast on Channel 17 Evening News: Appeared on Business Report promoting the Family Business Institute on three occasions

Guest Speaker for the CSUB President's Council of 100: "The International Export Trade Facilitation Program"

Guest Speaker for the CSUB President's Council of 100: "Plain Law in Plain English."

Guest Luncheon Speaker for PEO Sorority

Family Business Institute Round Table Discussion on "Compliance Standards for Family Businesses"

Family Business Institute & 2005 Bakersfield Small Business Conference (Breakout Session on "Negotiation Techniques")

Guest Luncheon Speaker for Rosewood Retirement Community

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University Activities (During the past four years)

Representative of the  School of Business and Public Administration to the “Budget and Planning Committee” of the Academic Senate, California State University, Bakersfield.(2006-2007 & 2007-2008)

Member of Board of Advisors for the “Master of  Science in Administration” Degree Program.  Board responsibilities relate to curriculum issues and approval of students for the program.

Member of CSUB Intellectual Property Review Committee

Member of the CSUB Environmental Committee

Member of the CSUB Advisory Committee for International Education.

Committee Member for developing assessment criteria for the On-line degree programs (TLC and Extended University)

Committee Member of Extended University Program in designing and implementing an on-line “BS in Administration” degree program.

Chairman of the Board of Advisors of the CSUB School of Business and Public Administration's "Business Research and Education Center."

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Director of the CSUB School of Business and Public Administration (BPA), "Business Research and Education Center (BREC)"

 BREC continues to support a number of community activities relating to economic and business development, life-long learning opportunities, student participation/involvement with community programs, faculty research projects, and a faculty consulting service.  BREC also actively supports CSUB and university administration requests for various projects, such as attending planning sessions and writing reports, along with meeting and addressing issues with a myriad of community programs.

Programs:

Family Business Institute:  Provides a comprehensive program promoting the success of family owned businesses in Kern County.  The Family Business Institute (FBI) is a public-private alliance among the School of Business and Public Administration (BPA) at California State University, Bakersfield; Kern County small; family owned businesses; and local service professionals and practitioners.  Programs and support for FBI activities are administered through BREC.  The FBI is a community resource that addresses the myriad of issues pertaining to small and family owned businesses, and provides lifelong learning opportunities that explore the dynamics, complexities, and challenges of the family firm.  The goal of the Institute is to develop a continuing body of knowledge and problem solving techniques that are current, reliable, and accessible to all members.  Institute programs include interactive workshops, breakfast roundtable discussions, and various informal activities and events that are designed to provide members with the most up-to-date information, trends, developments, and cutting edge examples of best practices available in the field.  During the various sessions there are sharing of ideas, experiences, and expertise that provides a unique learning environment for inspiring new thinking and strategies in addressing the special issues and problems associated with family owned business enterprises.  This interdisciplinary approach captures insights from diverse sources.  There are four to six scheduled events during the school year.  This forum of continuing education for family and small businesses in the regional area started September 2000.  Recent FBI conferences held at CSUB:
 

• February 20, 2007. Planning the Future: Designing a Livable Community
• March 8, 2007. The Inside Secrets of Selling to the Government
• March 20, 2007. Planning the Future: Designing a Livable Community, Part II
• April 17, 2007. Risk Management for Family and Small Businesses
• February 21, 2006. The Dynamics and Power of the Covey Experience: a review of “The Seven Habits of Highly Successful People” (Powerful Lessons in Personal Change) and “The Eighth Habit” (From Effectiveness to Greatness).
• June 6, 2006. The Latest and Greatest about Employee Wage and Hour and Discrimination and Harassment as presented by representatives from the State of California

Kern County Technology Transfer Group (KCTTG) is continuing with the help of Troy Hightower.  Mr. Hightower is promoting technology transfer projects within the value-added agriculture, advanced technology, and re-newable energy sectors (clusters) within Kern County.  Mr. Hightower speaks fluent French and conducts trade missions to France.  Additionally, Mr. Hightower has established a "Geographic Information Systems (GIS" section of the center.  To date, this effort has established a number of GIS projects on campus.

The Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Program has been developing within BREC for the past seven years as a demonstration project for implementing practical business and public use applications. Paid student interns are participating in the Californbia GIS Blue Print Project with the Kern Council of Governments.  From time-to-time, interns are also employed to create maps and computer visualizations for CSUB planning projects.  The GIS BREC Lab is a state-of-the-art computer facility with leading software for GIS, Visualizations, and 3D Modeling.

BREC (through the Kern County Technology Transfer Group) was a sponsor of the State of California GIS Convention (November 4, 2007) and received a state award and a formal framed document acknowledging BREC’s participation in state GIS activities during the past several years.

The Center continues to work with KernCOG on addressing issues pertaining to renewable energy as related to future operations at the Mojave Airport and California City.  When projects are more mature, KernCOG plans to use CSUB interns for additional GIS mapping projects.

Internship Program for Virtual Enterprise: Conducted two units credit special projects Business Administration class for students participating as judges in the Ninth Annual Bakersfield Virtual Enterprise Trade Fair, November 28-29, 2007.  35 CSUB students participated in this event.  The Trade Fair is the major State of California Virtual Enterprise Competition for 180 high school businesses from approximately 165 high schools and 3,000 students from throughout the state.

Kern County Export Program:   This program is composed of corroborative partnerships and strategic alliances with service providers and organizations that support and provide various tasks for this effort: BPA, Taft College, Export Assistance Office of the U.S. Department of Commerce, Senior Corps of Retired Executives, Weill Institute Small Business and Development Center, and funded by a grant from the State of California Industry Driven Regional Collaborative (IDRC).  This program uses the new VITA/BREC Lab on the second floor of the Business and Public Administration Office Building.  BREC has also developed a new course offering for this program (BA 477) that allows up to 10 students per quarter to participate in learning and building export facilitation skills and work with outside business firms, with pay from BREC, as interns in establishing an export business in the selling of products and services.  To date, over 34 students have been trained in international export trade facilitation at CSUB.  BREC has also established an On-Line course for this program.  This coorbative program has added approximately $42,000,000 of exports for Kern County in the last four years, and is considered a "model" project (first of its kind) by the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Jr. Achievement Program:  The Jr. Achievement Program is for CSUB School of Business students who assist in teaching the principles and topics of the "business enterprise system" in the Elementary, Jr. High Schools, and  High Schools within the Bakersfield community.  Each BPA business student that participates in this program spends and teaches 10 hours a quarter in a specifically designated classroom within the districts under the direction of the classroom teacher.  BPA students are also responsible for preparation time prior to each presentation, and for writing a journal describing the experience following each presentation.   The program is designed for BPA students who are interested in practicing and enhancing presentation skills and confidences, along with addressing various approaches and methods of communicating fundamentals of business concepts.  The Elementary, Jr. High School, and High School students are introduced to principles of the "business enterprise system" and its application to the individual and the community.  The curriculum is age appropriate for each grade level.

E-Business Center:  BREC continued its alliance in a joint effort with the Weill Institute, Small Business Development Center, that promotes and advances E-Business activities through a business incubator program.  The mission is to provide opportunities for entrepreneurs in developing and growing E-Business enterprises.  This program serves the Kern/Kings/Tulare County Regions.  The E-Business Center opened on November 28. 2001 at 2300 Truxtun Avenue, Bakersfield.  It is now in its fourth year of successful operations.  There are presently thirteen tenants in the building and a training facility was established this year.  This project fits well with the School of Business and Public Administration MIS and E-Business concentrations.  The E-Business incubator program is now self sufficient.

Strategic and Business Plan Project:  BREC continues to support and work with the U.S. Small Business Administration and the Kern SBDC in providing “strategic plans” to small businesses in cooperation with BPA senior seminars.

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Previous University Activities

Assisted in the planning, development, and implemented internet based classes for B.S. degree in Environmental Resource Management over the WEB for the distance learning project.  Developed and taught the first three internet classes offered for university credit at CSUB.  WASC granted accreditation to CSUB for the first approved internet based B.S degree in California.

Active participation in coordinating activities with various national organizations relating to distant education programs, including the Partnership for Environmental Technology Education, Advanced Technology Environmental Education Center, Hazardous Materials Training and Research Center, North American Association for Environmental Education, and the Learning Resource Network (LERN), etc

Developed and directed an internet based lifelong learning conference center and produced several international WEB conferences for LERN, Inc. on distance learning and instruction.

Initiated programs with other universities in contracting for distant education efforts, including working with community college environmental technology programs nationwide as to articulation and other joint projects of interest.
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