The Weekly Update – Professional and Online MBA: February 11, 2016
Program News & Announcements
Professional/Online MBA Social: February 27th at Nickelpoint Brewing
Mark your calendars and come join your peers for an evening of socializing and networking at Nickelpoint Brewing in Raleigh! This is a casual social event for all professional and online MBA students to interact and get to know each other better. There will be a special guest speaker who is an alumnus of the Jenkins MBA Program. More details and RSVP information will be available soon. This event is being organized by professional and online students serving on the PMBA Leadership Board; feel free to reach out to any of them with questions.
Attention all VA and Military Students
Mr. William “Bill” Doey, NC State’s VA Certifying Official, has retired, and the new VA Certifying Official is Daniel Hackley. Hackley is an NCSU alumnus who served in the U.S. Army and previously worked for the North Carolina Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. His office is located in the Office of Records and Registration (1000 Harris Hall) and he can reached by email at dphackle@ncsu.edu or by phone at 919-515-3048.
Academic Advising
Lavender Graduation 2016 Registration Now Open
The NC State GLBT Center will host its Lavender Graduation on Tuesday, April 19th at 7 p.m. in the Piedmont-Mountains Ballroom, Talley Student Union. Graduating undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender are encouraged to register to be celebrated, acknowledged, and recognized for their academic success and their contributions to the university. Students do not need to have been involved with any GLBT student organizations or with the GLBT Center to participate. Any GLBT student graduating this spring, summer, or fall is eligible to participate but must register by April 1, 2016.
Apply to Graduate by March 15th!
All students planning to graduate in the spring, you have some steps you need to take. Your deadline for completing the first two steps is Tuesday, March 15th. All the steps to graduate are detailed on the NCSU MBA website, (under Current Students/Graduation) along with a comprehensive list of FAQs. Please visit this site with questions; if you have others that can’t be answered here, feel free to contact Sarah Pickel (Online MBA) or Deborah Waller Wilkins (Professional Evening MBA). And save the date for our graduation reception the evening of Thursday, May 5th at the Carol Johnson Poole Clubhouse on Centennial Campus!
Career Management Center
What Matters: It’s About More Than What You Do – Vertical and Career Mobility in the U.S.: February 16th
Are you interested in getting noticed by your boss, climbing the career ladder, and getting that big promotion? Moving up in the U.S. is about more than what’s on your resume. Join our special presenter Helene Bumbalo to explore vertical and lateral career mobility in the U.S. This workshop is valuable to domestic and international students, and is open to all graduate business populations. The event is from 4:30 – 5:45 in Nelson Hall 3210 – please RSVP on JobLink.
U.S. Business Communications Etiquette – 10 Easy Adjustments for International Students: February 18th
As an international business student, your appearance and communication affect your potential to success in a new culture. The way you communicate and how you behave around other professionals are the keys to gaining acceptance and making professional connections. In this one-hour webinar, you will learn ways to make quick improvements in your email, phone, and face-to-face communications to open doors to U.S. employers. This webinar will take place on Thursday, February 18th from 1 – 2 p.m. EST. This is a live webinar – click here for registration (North Carolina State University is your school affiliation).
Register Now for the 2016 Carolina MBA Connection Networking Event: February 24th
Join Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, UNC-Chapel Hill’s Kenan-Flagler Business School, and Wake Forest University’s School of Business for the 2016 Carolina MBA Connection Networking Event on Wednesday, February 24, 2016 at the RTP Headquarters’ Conference Center. This is a fantastic opportunity to meet key business partners in the North Carolina area – some of the companies registered to attend include Hanesbrands, Merz North America, Reynolds American, and The Redwoods Group. For details, visit the Carolina MBA Connection website. Professional and Evening students, please contact John Hutchings or Guillermo Villar to register.
Poole College Business Sustainability Collective
Register for Duke’s annual Sustainable Business & Social Impact (SBSI) Net Impact Conference: February 24th
Join the Net Impact Club and CASE at Duke for the 11th annual Sustainable Business & Social Impact (SBSI) Net Impact Conference and hear from industry leaders in impact investing, community development, and more. This year’s conference, themed SBSI 2.0: A new decade of impact, will highlight the future of sustainable and social impact around the world. Rose Marcario, President and CEO of Patagonia, and Barbara Pierce Bush, CEO and co-founder of Global Health Corps, will present. Register today!
Food Waste and Hunger Forum: February 25th
Net Impact NC State is convening a Food Waste and Hunger Forum on February 25th from 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. in Talley Student Union. Using an “un-conference” format, the discussion will focus on ways to help solve the most pressing challenges for those working on the front lines in battling food waste and hunger. This forum is for anyone interested in food waste, sustainability, social entrepreneurship, or non-profits. Confirmed panelists include Shraddha Rathod from FreshSpire startup, Don Eli from Interfaith Food Shuttle, Morgan Murdock from Food Recovery Network, Erin White from Community Food Lab, Maggie Kane from A Place at the Table, and Lisa Johnson with Center for Environmental Farming Systems. Registration information found here.
Professional Events & Networking
Raleigh Chamber’s Young Professional Network Social: Feb. 11th at Level Up
Build your business connections and meet other local professionals at the next YPN social on Thursday, February 11th from 5:30 – 7 at The Level Up Kitchen and Barcadium in downtown Raleigh. This event is free for YPN members. RSVP by February 4th to attend.
Innovate Raleigh’s Women in Business Meet-Up: February 16th
Innovate Raleigh is highlighting innovative women and celebrating the networks that support them. This event will host fireside chats, interactive booths, and complimentary food and wine. Featured guests include Cindy Whitehead, Founder of Sprout Pharmaceuticals; Caroline Foy Welch, President and General Manager of ABC11 WTVD; and Sharon Bui, Co-President and Head of Marketing for Frill LLC. Admission is $5 and ALL proceeds go to participating non-profits. Tickets must be purchased in advance.
Wells Fargo Executive Series with Bill McDermott, CEO of SAP: March 2nd
Bill McDermott, a personal champion of customer centricity, leads SAP’s 74,500 employees and more than 2 million-person ecosystem in executing the company’s vision and strategy to make the world run better and improve people’s lives. Bill will present from 4:30 – 5:30 in 3400 Nelson Hall on Wednesday, March 2nd. This event is free to attend, but an RSVP is required.
High Five Conference – Where Marketing and Creative Meet: March 2nd & 3rd
NC State’s Jenkins MBA program is proud to sponsor the High Five Conference, held March 2 – 3 in downtown Raleigh. If you consider yourself a marketer – strategist, communicator, designer, creative director, product manager, developer, writer, and everyone in between or on the periphery – this conference is for you. At High Five, learn about teamwork, partnership, and collaboration in new and unexpected ways to truly achieve marketing and creativity symbiosis. Click here for the agenda and here for registration and ticket information.
Wolfpack Your Lunch – Strategic Thinking with Greg Hopper: March 4th
Greg Hopper, strategy and product marketing executive, entrepreneur, and adjunct associate professor in the master of engineering management program at Duke University will present on how to think strategically for the March 4th Wolfpack Your Lunch session. More details and registration can be found here.
Forte MBA Women’s Leadership Conference: June 17th – 18th
Join over 400 women from the top MBA programs at this two-day conference in Austin, TX with 100+ speakers and opportunities to engage with female business leaders, network, and learn critical steps for success and access to top employers. This event is open to incoming first year and second year MBA students. Visit their website for more on the Forte Foundation, and view registration and conference information here.
2016 Appalachian Energy Summit at Appalachian State: July 18th – 20th
The 2016 Appalachian Energy Summit is a three-day conference encompassing discussion topics centered on improving current energy policies and practices in the nation. Students interested in Renewable & Alternative Energy, Energy Policy, and Environmental Preservation will find opportunities within the Summit to network with other students and key figures in the sustainability field. Appalachian State University is proud to host this free event and will be accepting select applicants and inviting the best and brightest to join them for the conference. Additionally, The Summit Poster Competition lends a competitive element to the conference, and is a platform for students to discuss their energy-related research.
To begin the process of joining the summit, email your resume to Cynthia Olsen, Student Summit Coordinator, at damoncl@appstate.edu and fill out the attendance application here to be considered for participation. If you have any questions, feel free to email Cynthia or call at 943-732-9613.
Upcoming Dates to Remember:
February 11: YPN’s Networking Social at Level Up
February 16: Innovate Raleigh’s Women in Business Meet-Up
February 24: 2016 Carolina MBA Connection Networking Event
February 24: Net Impact’s SBSI Conference
February 25: Food Waste and Hunger Forum
February 27: Women for Success Lift Benefit
February 27: PMBA Social at Nickelpoint Brewing
March 2: Drop/Revision Deadline – last day to drop a course/withdraw, without a W grade!!
March 2: Well’s Fargo Speaker Bill McDermott of SAP
March 2 – 3: High Five Conference
March 4: Wolfpack Your Lunch: Strategic Thinking
March 5 – 6: Extended Moodle Maintenance
March 7 – 11: Spring Break – no classes
March 10 – 12: Raleigh Residency
March 25: Spring Holiday – no classes
April 26: Reading Day – no classes
April 27 – May 5: Final Exams
May 5: Jenkins MBA Graduation Reception
May 7: Spring Commencement
Meet a Jenkins MBA Alumna: The Weekly Spotlight
Name: Leah Haile, Jenkins MBA ’15
Employer & Job Title: Business Experience Designer, Deloitte Digital
Hometown: Asheville, NC
Current City: Washington, DC
Previous Degrees & Institutions: NC State University, BGD – Graphic Design
Q: What’s the most rewarding experience you’ve had in the MBA program so far?
A: Definitely serving as the Philanthropy Chair on the MBASA board. It was the first year that there was a dedicated position for philanthropy and it meant a lot to me that the program was investing in something I care deeply about. As a board, we were all committed to giving back and also to helping each other grow; some of my best friends were fellow board members. It created a great environment to try new things and allowed me to successfully launch the MBA Service Corps.
Q: If you had 5 minutes to teach someone something new, what would you teach?
A: I think I’d probably want to teach someone about practicing empathy. A lot of people struggle with the need to assert dominance or authority over others – especially in the workplace – but I’ve found that empathy really goes a long way in making progress toward shared goals and building relationships with coworkers. I’d have someone watch this 3-minute video and then spend the rest of the time having a conversation about it. I’d probably end up taking more than five minutes because I’d want to talk about it for too long – and I wouldn’t technically be teaching since it’d be more of a dialogue. But I sort of think that’s how teaching works best.
Q: What is the hardest thing you’ve ever done?
A: In 2012, I signed up for a marathon on total impulse. At the time, I’d never run more than five consecutive miles in my life and the marathon was less than six months away. Giving up basically all of my free time to train for the race was hard enough, but it didn’t even come close to the race itself. Halfway through I was ready to just give up – it was terrible. I can be really stubborn, though, so I ended up running the entire thing. It felt amazing to finish, but I don’t think I’ll ever do it again.
Q: What book or movie have you read/seen recently that you would recommend?
A: I recently read Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer; it was one that had been on my list for a long time but I kept putting it off. It took me a long time to get into, but it broke my heart by the end. On a lighter note, I watched Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery three times last week…if you haven’t seen it, you’re seriously missing out.
Q: What is one piece of advice you would pass along to current students in the MBA program?
A: Be humble and introspective. Some of the most valuable activities I invested my time in during the program were mentorship and leadership development. From my perspective, no amount of technical skill trumps an ability to communicate and connect with others. There are a lot of people in the program who are more than willing to invest their time into helping you grow; take them up on it and don’t take advantage of them.
Oh, and make sure to volunteer for the MBA Service Corps!
