The Weekly Update – Full-Time MBA: Nov. 25, 2015

Program News & Announcements

Help Us Help You!

The Student & Academic Engagement team – Claire Jefferies, Sarah Pickel, and Deborah Waller Wilkins – would be so grateful if you can take five minutes to let us know how we’re doing and where we can improve. We’re also collecting data on concentrations, which will help our faculty better plan for course offerings in future semester. Please take a moment to fill out the survey – and please be honest, your responses are anonymous. Thanks and have a terrific Thanksgiving holiday!

Relieve Your End-of-Semester Stress!

Join us for an MBA Stress Buster event this Wednesday, December 2 from 12-4.  Food will be provided (along with a bunch of other fun surprises) –  see you in the MBA lounge!

Summer Study Abroad Course in Munich – Registration Deadline is December 1st

The deadline for Innovation and Marketing Systems in Munich is December 1st. Dr. Jon Bohlmann is leading this trip and is faculty instructor for this 3-credit course. More information about Munich can be found on the MBA website and the NCSU study abroad website.

Summer Internship Opportunities with Venture Lab

Venture Lab has two summer internship opportunities for MBA students interested in sustainability! Venture Lab is an Accion-sponsored initiative to invest in and support seed-stage financial inclusion enterprises, catalyzing innovation in financial inclusion and enhancing the way financial services are delivered to the poor. Venture Lab focuses on companies that are post-R&D but have not yet proven their concept or achieved meaningful revenue traction, filling the support gap for seed-stage companies. Venture Lab prioritizes investment opportunities in East Africa, South Asia, and Latin America, but is opportunistic, leveraging Accion’s global footprint and 50-years of experience investing in and building financial services business in emerging markets. Click these links to learn about summer 2016 internship opportunities:
Venture Lab Summer Associate – Investments
Venture Lab Summer Associate – Portfolio Engagement

Academic Advising

New Class for Spring – MBA 590.003 Data Driven Decision Making

The MBA Program has added MBA 590.003, Data Driven Decision Making with Professor Kowolenko for Spring 2016. It is a combined section with the Computer Science Department and will be taught on Centennial Campus on T/H from 1:30 – 2:45. Please direct any questions about this course to your academic adviser.

Professional Events & Networking

Student Clubs & Events

MBA Student Association End-of-Semester Party

MBASA members are invited to mix & mingle at Noir for the end-of-semester party on Friday, Dec. 4.  Light refreshments will be served.  Cash bar.  Please RSVP using the invitation link sent to MBASA members via e-mail.  

Enjoy Holiday Cheer with the Finance & Supply Chain Clubs

The Finance Club and the Supply Chain Club will host their last event of the year on Wednesday, December 2nd.  Drop in and join members in the MBA lounge to make gingerbread houses throughout the afternoon.  Please RSVP using the form link above as soon as possible so that the clubs can plan accordingly.

Meet a Jenkins MBA:  The Weekly Spotlight

NAME:   Debra Mehta
TITLE:   First-year Jenkins full-time MBA
HOMETOWN: Morrisville, NC (originally from Long Island, New York)
PREVIOUS DEGREES:  Master’s in Education, UNC; B.S. in Anthropology, SUNY Geneseo

Q:  Tell us something about you that we might be surprised to find out!
A:  I studied abroad in France for a year when I was 16. I lived with a family in a little castle (manoir) called Le Valciot. I went skiing for ten days in the Alps and stayed with a family in Italy on an exchange with my French school. I remember that first day, getting off of the train in Cherbourg, Normandy and meeting my family for the first time. I said, “Hey! How are you?” and there was a blank stare. I did not realize that my new host family did not know any English at all …

Q:  When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?  Did that wish play a role in shaping your career? – if so, how?
A:  I wanted to be a lawyer, an actor, and a social worker at different times. Law interested me because it seemed like fun to read, argue, and piece a story together. I loved acting because it was creative and I enjoyed improvisation. I wanted to be a social worker because I care about making people’s lives better. I was a teacher for many years and I often had to advocate for my students, help them through difficult times, and find ways to teach them creatively. My new future also involves creativity and persuasion.

Q:  What’s the most fun or enlightening experience you’ve had in the MBA program so far?
A:  I really enjoy my Consumer Behavior class with Dr. Stacy Wood. The class has changed the way I think. She taught us about pricing and I applied this concept to my online lesson store.  She taught us about schemas and it made me understand why the “Face on the Milk Carton” missing child campaign was so successful, but jarring. We relate milk to mothers, love, comfort and childhood; to place a picture of a missing child next to these in our minds makes us emotionally connect with the campaign. Everyone should take this class.

Q:  What’s your favorite song to cheer you up, get you pumped up, or ready to face the day?
A:  Taylor Swift, in general. Not ironically. Yes, I blast pop music and sing in my car. You do, too!

Q:  What’s your dream job / career goal?  How is the MBA helping you get there?
A:  I want to be a brand manager. I am a career switcher, so there is still a lot to learn, but there are so many leadership, mentorship, networking, and volunteer opportunities in this program. I am trying to take advantage of everything. For instance, volunteering at the Innovative Women’s Conference was such a great opportunity for us to expand our network. I am thankful for this program because I know we will all get where we want to go.

Dates to Remember/Upcoming Events

December 1 – Deadline to register for Summer Study Abroad in Munich
December 4 – Last day of classes
December 4 – MBASA end-of-semester party (see e-mail invite to RSVP)
December 7-8 – Supply Chain Resource Cooperative Semi-Annual Partners Meeting
December 17 – MBA Graduation Celebration, 5:30 – 7 pm, 1887 Bistro, Talley Student Center
December 18 – Fall 2015 Graduation