McCombs Alumni Rising Star 2022 honoree Nick Dell’Osso, MBA ’03 has recently been recognized as one of Oklahoma’s Most Admired CEOs and CFOs. Congratulations to Nick!
Read more here.
Month: February 2023
AV AirFinance has recently announced that Michael Rubinett, MPA ’14 has been appointed as the Senior Vice President- Loan Origination (Americas). Previously serving as the Vice President of MBA Asset Management, Michael nears a decade of experience in both aviation and finance. Congratulations to Michael!
Read more here.
Stacy Smith, BBA ’85 has recently been appointed as the newest addition to the Board of Directors at Wolfspeed Inc. Serving as the executive chairman of Kioxia Corporation as well as the Non- Executive Chair of the Board at Autodesk, Stacy brings a wealth of tech business experience to Wolfspeed’s team. Congratulations to Stacy!
Read more here.
Debbie Carney, McCombs Senior Program Coordinator for Advising and International Exchange Programs
Positioning McCombs on the world stage is something that has been on the forefront of Debbie Carney’s mind since she took up her post as Senior Program Coordinator for Advising and International Exchange Programs 12 years ago. Despite expanding the Texas MBA Program’s global business education partnership roster to include the two best London-based schools and forging new relationships with top MBA programs in Hong Kong, South Africa, Argentina, and Japan, Carney admits more still needs to be done.
“We are deploying the very best students from McCombs to experience hands-on cross-cultural opportunities,” she said. “But we are behind. We still don’t have the name recognition in the global arena that we deserve.”
The Global Student Exchange Program provides full-time MBA and Dual Degree students studying law, business, or engineering an avenue to learn alongside counterparts in other countries. But it can be costly to the students (approximately $10,000 per semester each), who are solely responsible for expenses, not to mention navigating life on their own in a new culture. Despite those challenges, however, Carney says she hears nothing but positive feedback.
“It’s hard to study abroad,” she said. “But for most of our participants, this is a life-changing transformational experience. Students say it’s the best decision they’ve ever made.”
Jhovany Duperval (MBA ’22), participated in the exchange with London
Jhovany Duperval (MBA ’22)
Business School and echoes Carney’s sentiments.
“I chose to apply for the exchange program because I wanted to extend my international experiences and immerse myself in a business practicum full of opportunities to tackle international problems,” he said. “The exposure educationally and culturally expanded my knowledge base and is an experience that I’ll carry with me wherever I go. This opportunity has been the highlight of my MBA experience and one I hope future McCombs students explore as part of their MBA journey.”
For those who think the GSE is just a travel experience, Carney refutes that, explaining that, students spend one full-time immersive semester studying business at a top-ranked global institution at their destination. In addition to the cost of travel, students are responsible for securing their own housing, insurance, class schedules, and local transportation while abroad. Currently, there is only one scholarship to support two students through the Sylff Foundation each year.
The experience provides the opportunity for McCombs to increase diversity across programs and enhance its presence around the globe, something Carney stresses as an increasing need in the current climate.
“Many times, our students are the only Americans in the room during these exchanges,” she said. “It allows them to be able to speak on the global stage, and that’s a huge benefit in today’s economy.”
Carney hopes to see the program continue to expand to include additional international experiences, scholarship support, and faculty assistance. In the future, she hopes participants will have a forum where they can return to share their experiences with other McCombs students and create an ongoing network of alumni in the program.
“We are building something for students who would never have this opportunity otherwise,” she said. “When they return, they are the best possible ambassadors for this program and McCombs.”
To learn how you can support the Global Student Exchange program, email Debbie Carney.
Alicia Rogers, (BBA ’13 and UT Dallas MBA ’22) is currently the Senior Manager, Technology Consulting at PricewaterhouseCoopers.
As the daughter of educators, Alicia Rogers (BBA ’13 and UT Dallas MBA ’22) understood that she was going to pursue a degree, and The University of Texas at Austin provided the kind of culture and opportunity she was seeking. As a Black female on campus, however, Alicia found herself having to navigate the university differently. With the right strategy and focus, she says all students can thrive at McCombs.
“I joined the Gateway Scholars program for minority freshman when I first arrived on campus,” she said. “And I still didn’t necessarily feel like I fit in right away. But I worked at it and eventually found my space.”
Alicia became deeply involved in the Black Business Student Association (BBSA) at McCombs, seeking out leadership roles, first on committees and then, eventually, as the organization’s president. Through BBSA, she met a group of like-minded peers who created a sense of community and belonging.
Alicia has maintained her connection with BBSA and continues to mentor current student members and give back to the alumni. This past fall, with distinguished guest Peggy Drake Holland, the first African American student to graduate from the UT business school, in attendance Alicia and the current president hosted the organization’s first alumni event as part of Black Homecoming Weekend.
“The event gave me so much energy, and it was so rewarding to see our alumni engaged and building new connections with each other,” she said. “That kind of connection is so important.”
Connection, Alicia says, is what is critical when attending a university the size of The University of Texas at Austin, especially as a student of color.
“Connection is what supports you when you’re up against the demands of maintaining a high GPA and the level of student organization engagement that is expected at McCombs,” she said.
“McCombs is challenging. Everyone around you is intelligent and motivated, so it’s easy to feel intimidated. But the school has so many resources to help every student succeed.”
From a diverse offering of student organizations, to mentorship programs, to career success workshops, Alicia says success really comes down to initiative and persistence.
“As a student, you have to be intentional about building a community around you and advocating for yourself,” she said. “That’s how you make UT smaller. McCombs has all the tools, and they will teach you what you need to have in your tool kit.”
Sometimes, it’s attending an event that will open doors, she says, as long as you aren’t afraid to speak up and ask questions.
“It was at a BBSA event where I met a recruiter from my current company PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). I asked if they had internship opportunities for Sophomores, and she said they did,” said Alicia, Senior Manager, Technology Consulting at PwC. “And I’ve been here for almost ten years now.”
Alicia recently took the helm as Chapter Leader for the San Antonio McCombs Alumni Chapter, where she will continue her efforts to connect and engage alumni and students.
“My goal is to foster meaningful relationships through a schedule of diverse events,“ she said. “I would like to see our chapter partner with Texas Exes more as well as other UT affiliated groups in the future to expand our reach and create more opportunities for alum to network.”
Looking back, even during that first semester when UT felt big, Alicia says she always knew McCombs was the right place for her. The university continues to provide opportunities and community to its students, and now, as an alumna, she is motivated to give her time as a mentor to students and a leader to her fellow alumni.
“As an alum, I have never felt like the door to McCombs closed,” she said. “The best thing about being a McCombs alum is the pride I feel for my school and not thinking twice about dedicating my time to pay forward a small part of the impact McCombs has made on my life.”
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