Please nominate candidates for the 2024 BBA, MBA, and Specialty Masters Alumni Rising Star awards. Nominate another individual by May 20 or submit a self-nomination by May 27, 2024. Dean Mills will recognize honorees at the upcoming Hall of Fame celebration.

The selection committee evaluates Rising Stars on the following criteria:

• BBA/MPA/MSBA/MSF/MSITM/MSM/MSHCT graduate – under 40 years old as of October 31, 2024
• MBA/MSTC – within 15 years of graduation as of October 31, 2024
• Successful career advancement
• Evidence of public recognition accorded by professional groups/corporations outside The University of Texas at Austin
• Civic activity and public service by a nominee on a local, regional, state, national, or international basis
• Current or former positions of business or community leadership
• Service to the McCombs School of Business and The University of Texas at Austin

Please submit 3^rd-party nominations by May 20 or submit self-nominations by May 27, 2024.

You can find additional information about the Alumni Rising Star award (including previous honorees) on the HERE.

Austen Jeter, MBA ’20, was recently named McCombs Dallas Alumni Chapter Leader

Growing up in Dallas, Austen Jeter developed a deep love for his Texas roots. Aside from a short  –stint as an undergraduate student at The University of Kansas, he has called the great state his home. Returning to Texas to pursue his MBA was one of the best, and easiest, decisions he says he has ever made. Now back in Dallas, he is giving back to McCombs as a newly appointed Dallas-area McCombs alumni chapter leader.   

Q: Tell us about yourself. Why did you choose McCombs?  

 A: The decision to attend McCombs was an easy one for me. When I set out to apply for MBA programs, I did a lot of soul searching on what I wanted out of my degree and ultimately settled on three things: First, I wanted a school with a strong network; second, I wanted a competitive yet not cutthroat culture; and third, I wanted a program that was well-respected. McCombs offered all three of these in spades.  

 After graduation I moved back to Dallas with my wife, Meredith, to start a family and restart my professional career. We now have two kids, Zoe, 3, and Hudson, 1, a dog, and a cat. You can find me on the Northaven Trail, at Home Depot, or lounging in the backyard. 

 Q: What organizations were you part of while at McCombs, and what leadership roles did you hold?  

 A: I spent most of my time with two organizations at McCombs – the Graduate Business Council (GBC) and the Partners Club. Within the GBC I was elected as the VP of Finance, which meant I was responsible for all the money the GBC raised and disbursed. We hosted the tailgates in front of Rowling Hall, put on formal dances, and managed the lockers in the building.  

 The Partners Club is focused on helping integrate the partners of students into the McCombs experience. Students at McCombs had the benefit of spending the day in the classroom meeting and interacting with new friends, while their partners were often left out of that experience. It was important to me to help create a place for them to meet other partners and students, discuss life as part of Cohort 5, and have a safe space where subjects like recruiting, strategy, or investments weren’t the sole topics of conversation. 

 Q: Do you have a McCombs memory you’d like to share?  

 A: My favorite time at McCombs was the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) Patagonia leadership course. The Center for Leadership and Ethics worked with NOLS to create a 10-day program where students hike through the backcountry of southern Chile while developing and practicing leadership skills.  

 We crossed rivers, climbed overpasses, and survived the famously unpredictable weather of Patagonia with only minor injuries. I returned from the trip with a better understanding of leadership principles and a renewed sense of calm and confidence that I would be able to conquer whatever challenges lie ahead.   

 Q: Tell us about your professional career and how you got here.   

 A: I started my career as an accountant at a healthcare company in the Dallas area, United Surgical Partners International. After a few years I realized that I was more interested in understanding the decisions that went into the numbers on the page, so I moved into a financial analyst role at another healthcare company, Cardinal Health.  

 At Cardinal I was more exposed to the management team and had a seat at the table to model out the financial impact that executive decisions had on the company. That exposure to management made me realize how interested I was in strengthening my own leadership abilities.  

 From there, the choice of getting an MBA and where to get it was easy. Today, I’m in Growth and Analytics at Intuitive Health. The skills and practice I got at McCombs have been instrumental in my continued professional success.  

 Q: What induced you to become a Chapter leader?   

 A: One of my favorite things from my time at McCombs was the sense of community present on campus. I loved getting to meet new people and make connections with others in my network. When I graduated in 2020, community felt like something I had taken for granted in the past.  

 Between COVID and having a newborn, I was fairly locked down. Becoming part of the Dallas Chapter Board has been a great way for me to build that sense of community with the school again and to build new connections in Dallas. After a year or so of board membership, I put my name forward to lead the chapter in the coming year.  

 I know I have my work cut out for me, but I am dedicated to rebuilding a great group here in Dallas. Whether it is making a helpful connection between Longhorns or providing a way for us to sustain relationship with the school, I am enthusiastic about the challenges ahead.  

 Q: Can you please share your goals and objectives you have for your chapter while you are at the helm?   

 A: My goals for 2024 boil down to maintaining the momentum and consistency of this past year while increasing scale and participation. Dallas has innumerable Longhorns who want to get connected and engaged – my goal is simply to make that happen. To that end I’m hoping to accomplish four main objectives through our events this year:  

1. Help people get jobs by offering a place for networking and mentorship. 
2. Build a stronger connection with the school and what’s happening on campus. 
3. Give back to the community to build the brand of McCombs in the local area. 
4. Have some fun!

 Q: Is there anything you’d like to share with future chapter leaders?  

  A: Ask for help when you need it. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting so many people and they always say the same thing:  “Let me know how I can help.” It’s something that I struggle with personally, but I’m working on it!  

Nearly 100 people gathered at the McCombs Hall of Honors to mark the 80^th birthday of one of the University’s most endearing faculty.

Dr. Cunningham’s decades-long tenure at McCombs reads like a chapter from a history book. In his lifetime, he has visited with numerous presidents, royalty, musicians, and lawmakers. President of the University from 1985-1992 after acting as Dean of McCombs from 1983-1985, he went on to become Chancellor of The University of Texas System from 1992-2000.

“Sometimes I’ll say to someone, ‘I have this really good idea,’ and they will say, ‘Bill already did that.’ At least I know it was a good idea since Bill came up with it first,” said President Jay Hartzell. “We continue to lead as Bill led, with excellence of scale, focused on how to meet the needs of the students, faculty, and staff in the best way possible. Happy Birthday, Bill.”

He holds the James L. Bayless Chair for Free Enterprise, and currently teaches Corporate Governance in the McCombs School and the Law School. Dr. Cunningham serves on a number of corporate boards including Southwest Airlines, Lincoln Financial, John Hancock Mutual Funds, and Nuclein.

Bob Peterson, associated dean for research, shared his personal memories of his over 50-year friendship with Bill before introducing William H. Cunningham Student Endowment recipient Quinton Ellison Mendoza, CBHP ’26.

“Dr. Cunningham, I am just one of the countless students you’ve supported and inspired throughout your life,” he said. “On behalf of all students your work and support have helped, I’m honored and excited to say happy birthday.”

The William H. Cunningham Student Endowment is awarded to undergraduate and graduate students and has provided 291 scholarships since it was established.

Dr. Cunningham’s endearing legacy continues through his work at the University and his many deep relationships across campus and the state. The event concluded with music by the Longhorn singers and a celebratory reception.

See photos from the event here.

Read more here.

Orion Group Holdings, Inc. appoints Edward Chipman Earle as Executive Vice President and General Counsel. With over 20 years of global legal and compliance experience, Mr. Earle joins from Newpark Resources, Inc. CEO Travis Boone welcomes him, acknowledging his vital role in Orion’s future success as Peter R. Buchler retires after 15 years of service.

Read more.

Maria Tangarova, BBA ’20, is co-leader for the McCombs LA Alumni Chapter.

Maria Tangarova grew up in a family of professional musicians. But a penchant for numbers and a curious mind led her into the world of business. She started out in the entertainment industry with a mission to be the “backbone of everyone else’s wishbone” and now applies that same mindset as a venture capitalist investing in and supporting best-in-class founders building generational companies. After moving to Los Angeles at the start of 2020, the city felt initially isolating due to the pandemic. That is one of the reasons why she chose to join fellow alums Peter Hill, MBA ’15, and Ryan Yanney, BBA ’17 and MBA ’18, as co-chapter leader for the McCombs LA Alumni Chapter, providing a community for fellow Longhorns.

Tell us about yourself. Where are you from, and why did you come to McCombs?

I am originally from Sofia, Bulgaria, but grew up in Austin, Texas, with a stint in Monterrey, Mexico, from age 1-7. I came to McCombs because the business program is best-in-class and I was very fortunate to be selected as a Terry Scholar, which was an immense honor and privilege.

What organizations were you part of while at McCombs, and what leadership roles did you hold?

I was part of several organizations during my time there, however, I spent the majority of my time between two in particular.

I was a member of the Undergraduate Business Council my freshman through senior years, where I was faculty relations chair. I was the liaison between students and faculty by organizing talks, networking events, and creating learning opportunities.

I am also the Founder of UTalent Records, the only student-run record label at UT Austin, and served as president of the label my sophomore through senior years. I am very proud of the students who have kept the label flourishing, and it is a legacy that I hold near and dear to my heart. If I had to look back to identify my way of contributing to campus and making it a better place, it would have to be the work I did through founding UTalent.

Do you have a McCombs memory you’d like to share?

To pick one would be impossible. However, the best ones always had something to do with building or doing something I love with the people I love.

Tell us about your professional career and how you got here. 

I grew up in a family of fourth-generation professional classical musicians, a household of constant creativity, movement, eb and flow — of real life magic! And, I grew up playing piano and focusing on vocal performance. However, I was also quite good at math and at solving problems.

I decided to study business, finance, in particular, with a concentration in investment management. While I was at McCombs as an undergrad, I went out of my way to seek out opportunities that resonated. For example, I interned at the Recording Academy (GRAMMYs), and also got to work with and support a dear mentor in the scaling of Gold Rush Vinyl, the fastest vinyl record pressing company in the world, scratching my entrepreneurial itch yet again along the way. I then spent a summer at a Big Four accounting firm in consulting, after which I officially decided that I was going to fully pursue the music business. After graduation and strategic recruiting I got an offer to move to Hollywood, California, to work for music’s most legendary record label giant, Capitol Music Group.

I spent around two years at Capitol, and it was a very fruitful first experience out of college in an industry I loved. But I had hit a realization in my professional journey that allowed me to realize that I wanted to be around entrepreneurs, and I wanted to learn how to invest in early stage companies.

So, that’s what I did. I met my wonderful teammates at Chapter One Ventures and fell in love with the fast-paced, high-growth learning curve of investing. Now, I have the opportunity of working with and learning from some of the best technical talent in the entire world. And with that, comes the opportunity to change the trajectory of the future. What a privilege!

What induced you to become a chapter leader?  

I wanted to create a home away from home when I moved out to Los Angeles during the summer of 2020 – right at the beginning of what we came to experience as COVID.  LA is huge! And I wanted to create for others what was a struggle for me to initially find, which was community and a sense of belonging. And what better organization to belong to than your own alma mater? Hook em!

Can you please share your goals and objectives you have for your chapter while you are at the helm?  

Our goal is consistency. We would like to naturally grow the presence of our chapter by consistently striving to bring people together in whichever ways make sense. Whether it’s a coffee chat, a small get together at a local tavern, or football game watch parties, we would like to establish a drum beat and let everyone know: “Hey, there are other McCombs longhorns here! Come join us.”

Is there anything you’d like to share with future chapter leaders?

Be creative! There are lots of fun events and gatherings to be planned. Don’t feel like you have to limit yourself to the classics.

Join the LinkedIn Texas McCombs School of Business page, along with private groups for BBA and MBA alumni to keep up to date with what’s happening in your network. Be sure that “Texas McCombs School of Business” is in the education section of your LinkedIn profile and you automatically become a member. Linking your page to the school allows you to search all alumni by city, industry, class year, etc.

Here is a brief video tutorial with instructions on how to most-effectively search your classmates on LinkedIn.

We also encourage all alumni to join our new McCombs Connect virtual community to easily access alumni career coaching, workshops, events, and resources that will provide you with career support and connections for life. Through McCombs Connect, you will also have the opportunity to connect with students looking to learn from you as a McCombs alumnus.

This community is exclusive to McCombs alumni, students, faculty, and staff. Reconnect or create new connections with fellow alumni, sign up to mentor a student from any of our outstanding undergraduate and graduate programs, or meet students through mutual interests in a unique virtual community experience.

The McCombs Alumni Office is seeking McCombs graduates interested in serving as Class Ambassadors, representing your graduating class within the Texas McCombs Alumni Network. As a Class Ambassador, you will be a key point of contact for your class in a number of meaningful ways:

• Serve as the key point of contact between classmates and the Alumni Office
• Get involved with the local chapter in your area
• Engage your classmates and encourage them to get involved
• Assist with ensuring the alumni directory has accurate information for your classmates
• Participate in a committee comprised of Class Ambassadors from your graduation year in all Texas McCombs programs

As a Class Ambassador you are helping to ensure that McCombs continues to excel as a top business school. If you are interested please contact Robin Vallilee, robin.vallilee@mccombs.utexas.edu, with the Alumni Relations Office.