Category Archives: Program News

BHP Peer Advisor and Peer Mentor Applications Being Accepted

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The BHP office is currently taking applications for the roles of Peer Advisor and Peer Mentor. These two positions are essential to the program and are a great way to get more involved, gain skills and help others! Read more about the experiences of Morgan Lundy and Miriam Petsch below. Applications for these positions are due this Friday, March 27 to the BHP office no later than 5 pm. Check your email or stop by the office for an application.

MorganLundyPeer Advisor – Morgan Lundy

Why did you apply to be a Peer Advisor?
After my first year as a college student, I knew that McCombs and BHP had completely defined my college experience and were the main reasons I fell in love with the University of Texas. So, I applied to become a Peer Advisor at the end of my freshman year because I was looking for something that would allow me to communicate my passion for the program to others while helping me get more involved in BHP, and I couldn’t imagine a better way to do so than through working in the office. This position provides a great opportunity to connect with your BHPeers and staff on another level. As a PA, you are given the opportunity to work very closely with each member of the staff, touching the areas of advising, admissions, and the BHP curriculum. I knew that this job would give me an enriching and rewarding way to give back to the program, which was exactly what I was looking for!

What have you gained/valued from the experience?
For me, my favorite part about being a PA is that it has helped me to fully appreciate the education and opportunities that BHP provides its students. Working in the BHP office gives you a behind-the-scenes look at how the program is run. From helping out with the admissions and recruiting process, to setting up coffee chats with companies, to pre-advising students on their class schedules, to assisting the staff on other projects, this job gives you insight to just how wonderful our resources, opportunities, and staff are here at the BHP! Being a PA has reinforced for me just how valuable a Business Honors degree is from McCombs, while simultaneously allowing me to further develop hard skills in a professional, yet fun and relaxed environment.

Any challenges or unexpected parts of the job? 

The office can get very busy during admissions season and class registration periods. During the fall when the BHP application is released to high school seniors and during the spring when admissions decisions are released, there can be a high influx of questions from prospective students and their parents. Also, during registration times, many students come into the office seeking advice on their course schedules and require assistance with various circumstances. Both situations require that you are knowledgeable about these processes so you can answer questions and provide appropriate assistance. These situations will help you build your communication skills!

 

MiriamPeer Mentor – Miriam Petsch

Why did you apply to be a Peer Mentor?

As a student who transferred into the BHP my sophomore year, I wanted to find a way to connect with my new community. Although I met a lot of new people through my classes, I still didn’t feel quite as integrated as I would’ve liked. So when the Peer Mentor application was released, I decided to give it a shot. I felt that my perspective as a sophomore transfer would offer incoming freshmen a truly fresh perspective of the business school.

What have you gained/valued from the experience?

Amusingly, I had a chance to sit through the BHP version of BA 101 at a time when it was very relevant. In fact, as I was going through the junior year recruiting process, the material covered in the class actually helped me a lot! In that sense, being a Peer Mentor was a refresher on what it means to be a McCombs student. The position also allowed me to reflect on my own career ambitions and how my time at McCombs shaped them. When you’re a mentor, it forces you to question what you believe because you want to be certain you’re giving accurate, useful advice. I would recommend the position not only to students who know exactly what they want to do, but also to those who are still discovering their path themselves!

Any challenges or unexpected parts of the job?

The role itself involves much more than just sitting in on a couple of classes and attending weekly meetings. You are literally the face of BHP to ten very impressionable freshmen. Your actions may define their entire academic or professional paths, and you must recognize that fact. On the other hand, this challenge should be viewed as an opportunity to showcase as many different options as possible. This variety of perspectives is often difficult to present because you’re trying to be a mentor instead of just a friend. There is a fine line between preaching and giving advice, so identifying the difference between the two was critical for me.

 

BHP Students Present Ideas for REI, Inc. During Milgard Case Competition

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BHP Students Present Ideas for REI, Inc. During Milgard Case Competition

Milgard team3

BHP students Lisa Kao, Ryo Kurita, Robert Ma, and David Yu, competed in the Milgard Invitational Case Competition on Social Responsibility (MICCSR) in Seattle a couple weeks ago. A total of 13 teams from schools across the nation and Canada participated in the social responsibility case competition. This year’s case centered on REI, Inc., specifically focusing on how REI could implement its strategic goals in the shared economy market.

This case was unique in a variety of ways. As a social responsibility case, it revolved around how to further expand and sustain REI’s existing reputation as an environmentally and socially aware company. Teams were also specifically tasked with improving on one of REI’s four business strategy components: catalyzing experiences for its customers. Teams were encouraged to develop a solution to this by utilizing what is known today as the “sharing economy”. Examples of businesses who utilize the sharing economy are Uber, Lyft, airbnb, TaskRabbit, etc.

“I thought [the prompt] was incredibly interesting and freeing – the prompt, let alone the topic of social responsibility, licensed us to think more abstractly and creatively than most cases, hence why I thoroughly enjoyed doing this case competition,” said Ryo Kurita.

The UT team presented a three-pronged solution revolving around utilizing the sharing economy to connect REI consumers around the globe. The solution provided users with the ability to seek and provide REI equipment rentals, lodging near popularly visited outdoors attractions, and touring services in those same areas. The team had 72 to hours to come up with a solution and create a presentation.

“I approached it like I’ve done with every other case. We all looked at the case on our own and came up with our own ideas. Then we came together to discuss ideas and ultimately came up with one that we hashed out,” said Robert Ma.

The case was also unique in that it had a two-weekend timeline. Teams were first emailed the case prompt on Friday morning of the first weekend, were given until Monday morning to develop their solutions and presentations, and were flown out to University of Washington at Tacoma at the start of the following weekend to present their solutions to the judges.

“The two-weekend timeline was definitely an adjustment for me.  I had also never had a 72-hour case before, so it was challenging drawing the line between a solution that was thorough and too much detail.  Furthermore, it was tough compiling the slides since we weren’t simultaneously preparing our oral presentations yet, as that portion was for the following weekend,” voiced Kurita.

After the preliminary rounds of the competition concluded, each participating team was invited to watch the finalists’ presentations. Although the UT team did not place in the competition, members felt satisfied with the valuable lessons they had gained through working on the case prompt as a team, as well as through their observations of other schools’ presentations.

“It was a humbling experience. I think it showed how other universities prepare their students differently than how McCombs does. Many of the universities have set teams that work together and organizations that teach about case comps and I think it definitely shows,” noted Ma.

The team made sure to take advantage of their time in the wonderful city of Seattle, too. A visit to the famous Pike’s Place Chowder was accomplished on the first day, and the team also visited popular tourist attractions, such as the Gum Wall and the first Starbucks. After befriending students from other participating schools, the team also enjoyed a fun last night out in Capitol Hill.

 

The team couldn’t wait after getting of the plane; they went straight to sightseeing in the city!

The team couldn’t wait after getting off the plane; they went straight to sightseeing in the city!

Three of the four team members making their mark at the infamous Gum Wall in downtown Seattle.

Three of the four team members making their mark at the infamous Gum Wall in downtown Seattle.

BHP Management Professor to Serve as Faculty-in-Residence at Google

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BHP Management Professor to Serve as Faculty-in-Residence at Google

Ethan_BurrisManagement Professor Ethan Burris will spend three months at Google this summer as a faculty-in-residence for their People & Innovation Lab (PiLab), a part of their People Analytics group. Dr. Burris will be designing and executing research projects related to managing employee voice – ideas and feedback given by employees. He will also be working with Google to create interventions such as policies, trainings and workshops based on the data received from his research.

Google’s People Analytics group employs a number of scientists collecting data from Google employees in an effort to base HR decisions on actual employee data. Dr. Burris is only the second faculty-in-residence ever in the People Analytics group for Google. The appointment will be the first time he has been able to focus solely on a single research project since graduate school and he is really looking forward to taking a break from juggling his many faculty priorities here at UT and focusing on research for a set amount of time.

The specifics of the research Burris will be conducting are yet to be determined, but will focus around his work on employee voice. His research on the topic has been featured in The Wall Street Journal and Harvard Business Review.

Employees at Google have a more active voice than those at many other companies and one area Burris will be researching is why Google employees feel more empowered to speak up so the company doesn’t lose that culture as they continue to grow. He will also be looking into whether there are pockets of employees they don’t hear from. After he compiles and reviews the research, he will be serving in a consulting role, helping them determine how to act on the feedback they receive and what new practices they might adopt.

Burris looks forward to publishing his research and sharing more about the experience with future students in his class. BHP Senior Rachel Solomon was a student in Burris’s Organizational Behavior class and thinks his experiences at Google will be a great supplement to the curriculum. “The BHP case-based curriculum is so valuable because it shows us how to apply the somewhat abstract theories we learn in class to the working world. But when a professor incorporates his or her own experience with a company, it is even more motivating and engaging because we can ask them more specific and in-depth questions,” she said.

BP Discovery Days Program Provides Students with Unique Experience

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Each year BP, a BHP corporate partner, holds a three-day program called BP Discovery Days for college students interested in learning more about the oil and gas industry. Last year, two BHP students participated in the program and greatly enjoyed the experience. BHP juniors Anne Theil and Varun Bhatnagar shared their experiences in the program with us below. The deadline to apply for this year’s program is March 1.

How would you describe the BP Discovery Day program?

Anne: The program is three days long over a weekend in the summer, with multiple program options to choose from. The program I participated in (Diversity Days) was held near downtown Houston. The first night we had discussions about diversity, leadership, and ways to network. The second day we heard from Aleida Rios, VP of Operations Gulf of Mexico Region. I enjoyed hearing her talk about how being a minority woman in the oil and gas industry impacted her career. In the evening we all went to Top Golf to relax and wind down. The final day we volunteered at the Boys and Girls club of Houston.

Varun: It was a great way to learn about important leadership principles with other students whose majors ranged from business to engineering. In addition to honing our leadership skills, we also networked with BP employees working in a wide variety of fields, heard from a former Paralympian, and participated in a community service project.

Why were you interested in the program?

Varun: I wanted to learn more about the energy industry. I believe in learning by doing, and by participating in a program by one of the major players in the industry, I knew I could get a better understanding of it. I was also interested in hearing new perspectives on leadership, both from BP employees and my fellow participants. The ability to understand and work with people coming from different backgrounds will be a very crucial skill in my future career, and this program was a great way for me to develop that skill.

Anne: I was interested in learning more about the oil and gas industry first and foremost, but this was also a really good networking opportunity, since there were around 30 other hard-working and motivated students with me. The program I completed also awarded a $1000 scholarship.

What did you learn from going through the program?

Anne: I think the program really opened my eyes to the fact that there are so many other high-performing, ambitious students out there that share an interest in working for oil and gas. It’s very possible that I’ll be working closely with some of the students I met during the program, so it was important to make the effort to get out of my comfort zone, network, and keep in touch with them afterwards!

Varun: The most important thing I learned from the program is the value of diversity. A major theme of the program was how diversity in thought and in background can be extremely important assets in a team, and I could definitely see how that was the case through the program. We learned about different leadership styles, and worked with students from all across the nation with a plethora of different majors – as a result, I gained many new perspectives on what it means to lead and work as a team.

Why would you recommend this program to other BHP students?

Varun: The BP Discovery Day program, along with other leadership development programs, are invaluable resources for BHP students, especially for underclassmen. It’s easy to think the only way to learn more about a company is through internships (which can be difficult to get in the first two years of college), but these programs (which are often geared towards freshmen and sophomores) help you to learn more about the company hosting the program, about how to become a better leader and team member, and about the perspectives of students coming from different walks of life than your own.

Anne: I think this is probably one of the best, well-balanced leadership programs I have attended. I learned a lot about BP and what it’s like to have a career there, and the program leaders are passionate about teaching you how to market yourself as a young professional. We also had a lot of time to have fun and make friends with the other students. My favorite thing about the experience was the volunteering project on the last day– we all went to The Boys and Girls Club and repainted their gym. It was a neat little snapshot of the kind of outreach that BP performs in the community.

Anything else you want to share with fellow students about it?

Anne: The application process is just a few essays on why you are interested in the program/the oil and gas industry, and then a video essay to describe yourself and (for my program) how you are diverse. I would highly recommend this program for anyone interested in oil and gas!

Varun: This was a very memorable experience that helped me improve my leadership skills and gave me an entirely new network of contacts. Yet if I had not stopped by the BP booth at the career fair and applied, I would have missed out. Take advantage of any opportunity that comes your way – you never know what good things might come from it.

BHP Team Takes Fourth Place at McDonough-Hilltop Business Strategy Challenge

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BHP Team Takes Fourth Place at McDonough-Hilltop Business Strategy Challenge

BHP case comp group

BHP students Alexandre Ghadially, Blake Jones, Benedikt Kroll, and Catherine Anne Prideaux took fourth place at the 2015 McDonough-Hilltop Business Strategy Challenge at Georgetown University in Washington D.C. this past weekend.  Twenty teams from around the world competed in this unique non-profit consulting case competition.  This year’s case centered on strategically expanding For Love of Children’s (FLoC) educational support services into more low-income areas around DC.

The main goal of FLoC is to serve disadvantaged students in the DC community through one-on-one tutoring and college prep all free of charge.  While FLoC has been located in the heart of the city close to where its volunteers, young professionals, work, they are planning to open up a second location on the outskirts of town in a historically low-income area. “The idea behind FLoC’s expansion is to establish a presence in the community where its services are needed most; our challenge was to find a way to adequately incentivize volunteers to go to the new location which is now, at best, a 45 minute commute via public transportation each way,” said Alexandre Ghadially.

The team presented a three-part proposal focusing on the expansion, recruiting and retaining volunteers, and restructuring the staffing model in order to achieve maximum efficiency without sacrificing FLoC’s primary focus: serving the children.

“The competition was not about the bottom line; it was about the net impact on the DC community as a whole.  We never built models or even opened Excel really.  Unlike any of my previous competitions, this case challenged me to seek more creative solutions with extremely limited resources,” noted Benedkit Kroll.

The team was given 36 hours to work following a live presentation of the case and a live Q&A with the client.  The team advanced to finals where they presented in front of their client, a panel of industry professionals serving as judges, and all their competitors.

“The McDonough-Hilltop Challenge is truly special.  I am grateful for the unique opportunity to work with and make an impact on a local non-profit while competing with students from across the globe.  I hope MHBSC continues with this competition and their mission and that McCombs continues to be a part of it,” said Blake Jones.

“Participating in the competition made me appreciate the case-based curriculum in the Business Honors Program.  We essentially ‘prepped’ for the challenge every single class period whereas most teams specifically practiced cases with advisors prior to the competition.  After making fun of our accents, most teams were shocked to find we had never actually competed together before McDonough,” said Catherine Anne Prideaux.

In addition to working on the case, the team attended a professional hockey game, toured the Capitol, and enjoyed spending time with the other international teams.