UCR Business Dean

Poets & Quants: UCR Business Leadership Interview

ilseu — Mon, 04 Dec 2023 19:52:55 +0000

Poets & Quants: UCR Business Leadership Interview ilseu Mon, 12/04/2023 - 11:52 More News Meghan Marrin | Poets & Quants December 04, 2023

This article was recently published on Poets & Quants, a premium online resource for prospective graduate business students worldwide. Also read the first part of the article: "Meet the UC Riverside School of Business MBA Class of 2025."

Meet the UC Riverside School of Business MBA Class of 2025

An Interview with the UCR Business Leadership Team

Q&A with UC Riverside Anderson Graduate School of Management Dean Yunzeng Wang, Ph.D.

P&Q: What are the most exciting developments at your program in the past year and how will they enrich the MBA experience for current and future MBAs?

Dean Yunzeng Wang: “Anticipation is growing on campus for our new state-of-the-art, LEED building opening in fall 2024. The new building together with the iconic Anderson Hall will house classrooms and the administration of the UCR School of Business in a blend of tradition and innovation. Upon entering the new building, students will be captivated by high ceilings, open spaces, and wide windows, encouraging expansive thinking.

The new classrooms offer innovative tech integration. Wireless connectivity and ceiling microphones ensure optimal sound quality for in-person and hybrid classes. Equally exciting is the use of auto-tracking cameras also built into the ceiling. These cameras create individual Zoom boxes for each person in the room, seamlessly bridging the online and in-person experiences. The computer lab also features Fintech equipment and a real-time ticker for up-to-date stock market reports.

At the UCR School of Business, these design and technology elements have been intentionally created in alignment with our values and embody who we are as a school.”

P&Q: What is the most innovative thing you have introduced into the MBA program in recent years? How has it been a game changer for your program?

UC Riverside Anderson Dean Yunzeng Wang

Dean Wang: “Our most exciting initiative is the launch of the new Technology, Innovation, and Design Lab. Drawing inspiration from other renowned universities, this lab serves as a creative playground where students can harness the power of AI, machine learning, and other technologies to craft real-world solutions under the guidance of our esteemed faculty.

The lab will focus on three core areas: artificial intelligence and machine learning, persuasive technology, and technology for social betterment. Professors Sanjoy Moulik and Rich Yueh are the driving forces behind this initiative, recognizing the need to identify business opportunities, brainstorm, experiment, and develop technology-based solutions that can genuinely benefit communities and enterprises.

While the lab will live within the School of Business, it will welcome students from all disciplines and involve dedicated alumni. In short, the lab expands the horizons for UCR students, empowering them to become problem solvers, developers, entrepreneurs, and pioneers in the digital realm, with the potential to create life-changing, market-disrupting products.”

P&Q: UC Riverside is an hour away from the heart of Los Angeles. How does the MBA program tap into the LA ecosystem to provide school projects, employer partnerships, and job opportunities for students? What types of jobs are your students landing and which companies?

Dean Wang: “Riverside County, in particular, has recently outpaced both LA and Orange counties in terms of job growth, adding 100,300 new jobs from 2019 to 2023 (Orange County Register, 2023). This thriving region offers a wide array of management and supply chain roles for our students looking to build roots in the Inland Empire, one of the most cost-effective areas in Southern California.

Nevertheless, our strategic location near four other major metropolitan cities and counties, including LA, Orange, and San Diego counties, opens up even more diverse job opportunities across different industries: entertainment, technology, health care/sciences, banking, food and beverage, and more. Some recent employers of our graduates include Amazon, Boeing, Disney, EY, Esri, Kaiser Permanente, PIMCO, and Red Bull.

These companies offer positions like financial analyst, product manager, head of operations, and client success manager, among others. For example, Diana Cullen ’19 MBA serves as a senior manager of retail operations at Fabletics, Brandy Taylor ’20 MBA holds the position of senior development manager at Wetzel’s Pretzels, and Aniedi Effong ’21 MBA works as a senior program manager for pathway operations at Amazon.

More recently, many of our students have secured exceptional internships that turned into full-time jobs at graduation, like Ashley Sanchez ’22 MBA who works as a financial analyst at the Walt Disney Co. and Franchesca Jefferson ’23 MBA who is now the integrated marketing campaign manager at Esri.”

The new School of Business building will sit adjacent to UC Riverside Anderson’s current building, the iconic Anderson Hall

Q&A with Sabine Freij, Ph.D., UC Riverside Director of Graduate Advising & Student Services

P&Q: If you were giving a campus tour, what is the first place you’d take an MBA applicant? Why is that so important to the MBA experience?

Sabine Freij: “After taking you to the iconic Anderson Hall and the construction site for the new school of business building, we would swing by the HUB (Highlander Union Building) at the center of UC Riverside campus to give you a taste of our various student clubs and resource centers on campus as well as a sampling of the food options available on campus before we take you to the Student Recreation Center (SRC).

The SRC is a state-of-the art facility equipped with the latest workout equipment in addition to a stunning pool and spa, a rock-climbing wall, a multi-activity court gym, tennis, racquetball and squash courts, an indoor track, rooms for fitness classes and personal training, and other health focused event spaces. As much as we continue to invest in academic buildings and success, we equally invest in the importance of maintaining a healthy and balanced lifestyle for our students.”

P&Q: What kind of resources, opportunities or support systems does your campus and school offer to both the faculty and students that may be experiencing fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, whether it be physical or mental health repercussions?

Freij: “The university prioritizes both mental and physical health in addition to supporting other basic needs, particularly for those navigating the challenges exacerbated by the pandemic. First, we continuously share the new policy updates related to COVID that align with the CDC regulations. At the campus, we provide complimentary resources such as testing sites, covid testing kits, masks, and hand sanitizer.

In fall 2023, the campus opened a new Student Health and Counseling Center. The new building provides holistic wrap-around services in one location: the Division of Student Affairs, Student Health Services, Counseling and Psychological Services, Student Affairs Case Management, and The Well. Through these offices, free mental health services, case management, and student disability services are offered to our students.

Our Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) center additionally offers both in-person and virtual assistance so that UCR students can easily connect with providers. Additionally, our Basic Needs office offers a free on-campus pantry referred to as the R’Pantry and a free business professional clothing closet called R’Closet.”

UC Riverside MBA students have access to UCR’s gorgeous Student Recreation Center

Q&A with Rami Zwick, Ph.D., UC Riverside Associate Dean for Graduate Programs & Professor of Marketing

P&Q: What have MBAs told you is the most memorable, signature experience they’ve had in your program? Why did it resonate so much with them?

Zwick: “UC Riverside School of Business annual traditions and events have become our students’ favorite memories from their graduate experience. These include the annual beach bonfire, Mt. Rubidoux hike, and nights at the Getaway Cafe in addition to the cultural appreciation events such as Thanksgiving celebration, Lunar New Year, and the spring Color Festival.

These events and more bring together our diverse student body to not only celebrate important holidays together, but to also learn about other cultures. They also bring students and faculty together, helping to create a strong sense of community, belonging, and acceptance.”

P&Q: How does the MBA program integrate DEI in its MBA programming? How does the program leverage the larger university’s commitment to diversity in building its MBA program and what dividends does this commitment provide to its students?

Zwick: “We believe DEI integration is the work of every member of our community. We take a holistic approach to create a culture of inclusion and belonging for our diverse student body. Our efforts include recruiting a diverse cohort, hiring a diverse faculty team, enabling student affinity groups and resources, and integrating the topic into course content.

One of the most recent developments was the addition of a new course to our MBA curriculum: Diversity and Reducing Bias. The course covers topics including diversity in organizations, cross-cultural management, research-based strategies for reducing bias in organizations, and workplace inclusion.

Not only do our students have the opportunity to learn about the concepts in the classroom, they have a chance to practice these skills in an experiential environment through their MBA Capstone course, where students work with local/regional clients to develop business strategies, often for small and medium-sized businesses in historically marginalized communities.”

P&Q: The UC-Riverside MBA program is known for strong teaching and scholarship. Who is a standout in your faculty – the kind of person who graduates talk about a decade after they leave? How does he or she personify your school culture and the best of your MBA program?

Zwick: “We are proud to have a diverse and accomplished faculty team dedicated to making a lasting impact on our students.

Dr. Ashish Sood is both an associate professor of marketing and the academic director for the MBA and Professional MBA programs at UCR School of Business. He teaches marketing management and pricing strategy, and his students praise him for his passion for teaching, his industry experience, and the hands-on activities he uses to make marketing concepts come to life. He received a UCR Innovative Learning Technology Initiative Award in 2019 and two School of Business student-voted Golden Apple Awards for Excellence in Teaching in 2022-2023.

Another recipient of a Golden Apple Award, Dr. Elodie Goodman, professor of operations and supply chain management (OSCM), is one of those professors that challenges you to rise to the occasion of her class. Dr. Goodman teaches Quantitative Analysis in the MBA program as well as other OSCM courses. With the increasing importance of data analysis in the workplace, she enjoys equipping students with the skills they need.”

P&Q: How does your B-school incorporate technology into the curriculum and how has it engaged students and faculty on the use or incorporation of such new, emerging technologies, for example like ChatGPT?

Zwick: “Dr. Rich Yueh, assistant professor of teaching in information systems, was an early adopter – and so were his students. Since ChatGPT’s release in November 2022, Yueh added new class modules and assignments on how to use the tool effectively as well as considering the ethical and bias issues that artificial intelligence poses. He teaches his students to view AI as augmented intelligence tools – the tools help us do things better and more quickly than we could have ever done before.

Dr. Margret Campbell, professor of marketing, department chair and associate dean of faculty, notes that the emergence of AI and large language models will have a significant impact on the field of marketing, especially as it pertains to quickly developing content and conducting data analyses. She adds that these efficiencies will enable marketers to use their ingenuity and human creativity in other ways, just as humans have done with the adaptation of each game-changing technology.

Along similar lines, our faculty have recently partnered with an education technology company that allows participating courses to gain access to real-time case studies and simulations from Fortune 500 companies. We believe this tool is a game-changer for business education, as it allows students to get practice solving current challenges that companies are facing as a part of their coursework. Second, when students submit their work, companies will have the opportunity to review solutions and use the channel to recruit candidates. This becomes a win-win for both the students and the participating companies.”

Meet the UC Riverside MBA Class of 2025 featured candidates:

MBA Student	Hometown	Previous Alma Mater	Last Employer
Normarie Soto	Orlando, Florida	International Academy of Design and Technology	Anchor Wellness Insurance Agency
Fengan (Phannel) Li	Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China	University of Hong Kong	Independent consultant
Tu And (Tini) Viet Nguyen	Vungtau City, Vietnam and San Diego, California	San Diego State University	Aron Consulting Services
Wangda Lu	Xi’an, Shaanxi, China	University of Pittsburgh	Morgan Stanley
Luiz Fernando do Nascimento Vieira	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	Brazilian Naval Academy	Brazilian Navy Budget Management Board
Yingchao Fu	Shanghai, China	Tongji University	NIO Inc.
Kevin J. Thiphavong	San Diego, California	UC Berkeley	DCG Communications
Manideep Bommakanti	Hyderabad, Telangana, India	University College Cork, Ireland	The Bank of New York Mellon
Felipe Gomez	Pomona, California	California State University, Fullerton	United States Marine Corps
Ishita Singhal	Hyderabad, Telangana, India	Symbiosis Centre for Media and Communication	Deloitte India

Are you ready to set your future in motion?

Tamra Johnson, Associate Director of Graduate Admissions

Get your application in early for the best opportunity at scholarship funding! Schedule a personal consultation with our admissions associate to learn more about our graduate business programs. You'll get individualized coaching and support throughout the application process.

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Poets & Quants Interview: UCR Business Leadership

ilseu — Wed, 07 Dec 2022 07:04:52 +0000

Poets & Quants Interview: UCR Business Leadership ilseu Tue, 12/06/2022 - 23:04 More News Jeff Schmitt | Poets & Quants December 02, 2022

Meet the UC Riverside School of Business MBA Class of 2024

An Interview with the UCR Business Leadership Team

The arrow is definitely pointed up for the AGSM MBA. Thanks to heavy investments in infrastructure, programming, and student services, MBA can access more resources and opportunities than ever. What can current and future MBAs expect from the program? This fall, P&Q reached out to four members of the URC AGSM leadership team. They included the following individuals:

Yunzeng Wang, Dean, School of Business
Rami Zwick, Associate Dean of Graduate programs and Professor of Marketing
Ashish Sood, Academic Director of MBA and PMBA Programs and Associate Professor of Marketing
Sabine Freij, Director of Student Affairs and Student Services

Here are the team’s thoughts on areas ranging from how the MBA program leverages its Los Angeles ecosystem to how it is increasingly integrating diversity, equity, and inclusion into its programming.

P&Q: What are the two most exciting developments at your program in the past year and how will they enrich the MBA experience for current and future MBAs?

Dr. Sabine Freij

Dean Yunzeng Wang: “This fall, UC Riverside School of Business breaks ground on our new School of Business building that is part of the school’s complex, encompassing three buildings. As our undergraduate and graduate student populations continue to grow, we have outgrown our current building – the iconic Anderson Hall. The ground-breaking on the new building is an exciting development for our school, equipping our future students and faculty with a central hub for group study projects, speaker events and networking, a fintech lab, seminar room, and state-of-the-art technology in the classroom.”

Dr. Sabine Freij: “As our graduate student population expands, our students have had a direct hand in shaping the learning environment and community at our school. Last year’s MBA cohort initiated the launch of five clubs and organizations including the Programming Club, the Entrepreneurship Club, and Women in Business. These student-led organizations provide opportunities to engage in career and intellectual aspirations. They are a safe and supportive environment for students to learn, explore, and grow together as a community while leaving a legacy for future students and the larger community of Riverside.”

Dean Yunzeng Wang: “Additionally, our school has permanently moved to a test-optional admissions policy, which looks at candidates from a holistic perspective. We are excited about the opportunity this policy brings us to continue to provide access to students from diverse backgrounds, recognizing that you do not have to be a good test-taker to be highly qualified and competent in the business world.”

P&Q: If you were giving a campus tour, what is the first place you’d take an MBA applicant? Why is that so important to the MBA experience?

Dr. Rami Zwick

Dr. Rami Zwick: “Other than our historic building Anderson Hall, we’d take you to The Barn for one of our events or weekly happy hours. The Barn is one of our favorite locations on campus for socializing! Built in 1917 as part of the citrus experimentation campus, it was a working barn and horse stable, and was later transformed into a dining and music performance venue. The Barn received a renovation face lift in 2018. The Barn now has an outdoor bar and an entertainment stage for concerts. You can catch our students networking there once a week for happy hour!

“From The Barn, we’d take an easy walk to the center of campus to see our iconic Bell Tower – only one of five true carillons in California–where student organizations and clubs gather weekly. Also of note are the UCR Botanical Gardens, 40 acres of gardens and trails with more than 3,500 different plant species!”

Dean Yunzeng Wang: “The Anderson Hall is one of the oldest buildings on campus, formerly the California Citrus Experimentation Station. Built in 1917, the Citrus Experimentation Station was the groundbreaking research facility that laid the foundation for the University of California, Riverside, which was established in 1954 for admission to the general public. Today, we call this iconic building Anderson Hall, home to the School of Business and the A. Gary Anderson Graduate School of Management. When visiting the building, you’ll want to take in the view and take a picturesque stroll to the south of the main building. There, in Anderson South, you’ll find our Academic Advising & Student Services and Career Development Center offices, housing amazing staff that provide academic, student life, and career support to our students.”

P&Q: What is the most innovative thing you have introduced into the MBA program in recent years? How has it been a game changer for your program?

Dr. Rami Zwick: “Our MBA program offers 7 concentrations in accounting, business analytics, finance, information systems, marketing, management, and operations and supply chain management. In Fall 2023, we are launching a new concentration in the growing field of business analytics. The concentration will require five elective classes related to statistics, business analytics, and big data, and can be paired with other functional disciplines to equip students in the areas of marketing analytics, supply chain analytics, and financial analytics. Courses include Business Analytics for Management, Marketing Research, and Applied Business Forecasting.”

Dr. Ashish Sood

Dr. Ashish Sood: “An enhancement offered in the MBA program is access to Coursera at significantly discounted rates. This allows candidates to earn certifications and mini-credentials from Google, IBM, Meta, and more. We draw students from a diverse variety of backgrounds. Some may already have quantitative skills, some may have more business knowledge. Coursera gives students additional information and skillsets to ensure their success in the program and after graduation. It also gives candidates tools and certifications that set them apart in the competitive tech market.”

Dr. Rami Zwick: “Additionally, our STEM-designation (based on a scientific curriculum) within each concentration and across all graduate business programs is a significant advantage for candidates. It signals to employers that they have quantitative skills, and for international candidates it awards them the opportunity to work in the U.S. for up to three years on Optional Practical Training (OPT). Our curriculum is also currently under revision to better align with the cutting-edge skill-demands of today’s workforce and to better prepare students for the job market.

Dr. Sabine Freij: “Beginning in 2021, our Academic Advising & Student Services and Career Development Center offices introduced a summer preparatory program and peer-mentorship program, getting students engaged, involved, and prepared before the formal start of their program. These programs prepare students for success by providing them with leg-up opportunities before courses begin. No student is left behind when entering the program.”

Dr. Ashish Sood: “Not only do these programs prepare students for the academic environment of graduate school, it supports them in their career readiness. In the program, candidates are asked to practice interview skills and elevator pitches, forcing them to think critically about what makes them worthy of being hired. Further, this pushes them to consider what competencies they want to develop early in their program and gives them a better understanding of the courses they will need to build the skills and expertise that will drive their success.”

MBA students participating in the annual Colors Festival event, one of our many multicultural events on campus

P&Q: What have MBAs told you is the most memorable, signature experience they’ve had in your program? Why did it resonate so much with them?

Dr. Sabine Freij: “Student Association Community Events and Banquets – From our welcome week activities to our quarterly banquets, AGSM is great at hosting parties. Our graduate Academic Advising and Student Services office together with the Student Association plan and execute these events to build a familial and inclusive community. These events are also often attended by faculty, staff, and alumni so students get the opportunity to connect right away in a fun and relaxed manner. The social activities enable incoming MBAs to ease into student life while still being connected to school and responsibilities. As a result, many students come to us during important turning points in their life, and we have the opportunity to speak into the lives of our students, an aspect we as faculty really value.

Networking Events and Career Fairs – Our MBA candidates appreciate the many opportunities to network and connect with companies in a 1:1 environment. Last spring, our Career Development Center (CDC) hosted a dinner and networking night. The event included a cocktail reception on an elegant outdoor patio followed by a 3-course dinner with career table topics and MBA alumnus and entrepreneur Ruben Hernandez as keynote speaker. Employers in attendance included Bank of America, Baker Tilly, Dunmore, Cintas Corporation, and Century Group. This fall, the CDC hosted an internship and job fair with more than 20 employers including Caltrans HQ, Aragon Construction, Bazic Products, County of Riverside, Eadie + Payne, MPK Advisors & CPAs, Hub International, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Ambassador program – Our ambassador program is consistently named as one of the best opportunities available at the school and is reserved for our top candidates. If selected to be an ambassador, candidates get to be the face of the school to all external constituents including alumni, donors, our Executive Fellows, the community, prospective students, and other key stakeholders. As ambassadors, candidates receive exclusive professional development opportunities, get to give back to the community through service, attend special networking events like our Economic Forecast Conference, mentor undergraduate students, and connect with prospective graduate students– influencing one of the most important career decisions a person can make, where to get an MBA!”

Dr. Yunzeng Wang

P&Q: You are breaking ground on a new business complex this academic year. When will the building be completed? What are some of the unique benefits that it will provide to MBA students? How does the building reflect the culture and possibilities of the program?

Dean Yunzeng Wang: “Our new state-of-the-art building will be completed in fall of 2024. It will enable us to continue to grow and achieve our mission of creating knowledge through impactful research, unlocking potential through exceptional educational experiences, and fostering success in an innovative and collaborative environment, thereby contributing to the upward mobility of our diverse student population at scale. The new building is 63,400 square feet, nearly tripling the total space for the school. The building includes two 80-seat classrooms; a 350-seat auditorium; a computer/finance lab; a studio to record podcasts, lectures, videos, and other media; group study areas; a student lounge; administrative offices; an executive board room; and large indoor/outdoor event spaces. The expansion of the school’s footprint allows us to bring in new faculty and additional staff, increase enrollment, and also enhance our engagement with the community, creating a central hub for connection between business leaders, our research faculty, and our students.”

Architect’s rendering of the new School of Business building which breaks ground in spring 2023

P&Q: UC Riverside is an hour away from the heart of Los Angeles. How does the MBA program tap into the LA ecosystem (and its alumni base) to provide school projects, employer partnerships, and job opportunities for students? What types of jobs are your students landing and which companies?

Dean Yunzeng Wang: “An internship is a major component of our MBA curriculum, and our Career Development Center (CDC) works closely with employers and students to create and facilitate the internship experience at companies in Los Angeles and across Southern California. Thanks to the rise of remote and hybrid working environments, students are able to commute much more easily while balancing their course loads. These internships and jobs include MBA rotational programs in leadership and finance; analyst positions in data, finance, business, and research; accounting positions including tax and audit; marketing positions including digital, social media, strategy, and product management; operations and supply chain position; plus project management, human resources, business consulting, DEI, learning and development, and business development at companies including The Walt Disney Company, The Fox Corporation, EY, Meta, Goldman Sachs, Northrop Grumman, Esri, Amazon, Niagara Bottling, Tesla, T-Mobile, Zendesk, Deloitte, HME, and more.

The CDC has also made it easy for our employers to engage with our UCR AGSM students through virtual or in-person employer relations services. These employer services include campus visits, information sessions (in-person or virtual), job board postings, promotional emails, and participation in our in-person and virtual career fairs. In addition, the CDC hosts virtual recruitment panels each quarter, engaging diverse employers to expose students to myriad new opportunities and industries. Furthermore, UC Riverside partners with other UC business schools to host employer information sessions. Finally, we partner with major companies who host our students and share about their company business model and culture, and connect their recruiters with our top MBA candidates.

As a result, AGSM graduates are landing jobs across California from San Francisco to San Diego, as well as in major cities across the globe.”

UCR Business Meet the Class of 2024 Poets & Quants featured candidates

Dean Yunzeng Wang: “Of all the UC schools, UC Riverside is known for being the most diverse and the most inclusive, and a home for many first-generation students. More than half of our domestic student population identify with an underrepresented group and students can find opportunities to connect with affinity groups across campus. This academic year, our MBA class is represented by 54% female-identifying candidates who are supported and empowered by our newly formed, student-led Women in Business organization which hosts female leaders to discuss topics including gender equity in the workplace and what is means to create an inclusive environment, all while providing networking and mentorship opportunities. Additionally, our international student populations are celebrated through events like our Lunar New Year and Color Festival celebrations.”

Dr. Rami Zwick: “Our diverse student body is built through intentional efforts. Our graduate students offer mentorship services through gender and ethnic centers on campus and through groups like the Latino Student Business Association. We offer business leadership programming to engage students from historically underrepresented racial/ethnic backgrounds through the University of California’s Summer Institute of Emerging Managers and Leaders (SIEML) program and our home-grown Accelerated Business Leaders Experience (ABLE) program. The school also supports its students by participating in the NBMBAA conference. Although an MBA price tag can be quite hefty, we offer generous scholarship funding at the time of admission. In fact, 96% of our admitted students receive some form of scholarship funding. Our student services and advising team is available to support students in online and in-person functions. This supports students who have tighter schedules balancing school and work commitments to still get the support they need.”

The iconic School of Business Anderson Hall, formerly the Citrus Experimentation building, constructed in 1917.

Dean Yunzeng Wang: “Our faculty are also diverse in terms of race, gender, country of origin, experience, and subject area, and we are continuously working to enhance our faculty representation. We recently received a grant from the University of California to increase our visibility and market our faculty positions toward recruiting and hiring faculty from historically underrepresented groups in business.

Dr. Rami Zwick: “From a curriculum and programming standpoint, we are preparing our MBA candidates to be advocates and inclusive leaders in the business world. Our faculty teach from a framework of shareholder AND stakeholder values and with consideration to incorporate decision-making impacts on people, planet, and profit. From this lens, DEI is easily incorporated into the classroom learning through case studies, TED Talks, news articles, and speakers – all of whom reinforce the importance and value of diversity in the workforce, the difference between equity and equality, and the push towards social justice. In marketing classes, representation for different demographic groups is discussed as well as access when considering a particular product or service’s design, price point, and advertising. In management classes, discussions are created around managing a diverse workforce, team-building and inclusive leadership, accommodating diverse needs, creating inclusive corporate cultures and climates, emotional and cultural intelligence, decision-making biases in hiring and promotion practices, and the dangers of algorithms incorporating implicit human biases.

The DEI experience is particularly appropriate and relevant for our capstone course. As part of the course’s requirements, our MBA student teams are expected to work directly with a local/regional client and help them develop short-term and long-term business strategies. It is often the case that teams work with small and medium-sized businesses from historically marginalized communities. These field experiences are highly educational, enriching, and fulfilling. Given that our students are incredibly diverse, and willing and able to draw on their own uniquely lived experiences, this type of project design is not only appropriate, but also quite easy to implement. It is highly effective both for our students’ personal development and the impact they have on the businesses with which they work.”

Dr. Ye Li, associate professor of management, teaching in his Managerial Decision Making course.

Dean Yunzeng Wang: “In 2020, two professors from UC Riverside School of Business were selected for the Poets & Quants 40 Under 40 Best MBA Professors, Drs. Ye Li and Marlo Raveendran, from among 2,000 nominations world-wide. That year, UCR was one of just five schools globally to boast two awardees. The 40 Under 40 list identifies ‘educators who have demonstrated research acumen, teaching prowess, and impact students, former students, their colleagues and administration.’

Ye Li’s instruction reflects true admiration for his students and their diverse experiences.

Let me share what we wrote about Dr. Li and Dr. Raveendran in a 2020 press release.

Receiving nearly 100 nominations, Associate Professor of Management Ye Li was lauded by the Poets & Quants evaluators: “Ye Li wowed us as much as he has students who have had the luck to see him in action in a classroom,” they stated in their announcement of the professor of management’s inclusion on the 40 Under 40 MBA Professors list. “What impressed us more than his mountains of research was the feedback current and former students gave, particularly about how much he genuinely and truly cares for those he teaches.”

With an impressive body of research, Li studies ‘the reasons people make various kinds of decisions, especially ones involving tradeoffs between sooner and later consequences, and the descriptive reality of how business decisions and mistakes are made.” Some of his most influential work has looked at the role of emotions and cognitive ability at influencing these types of decisions. “For example,” he says, “sadness makes people less patient, while gratitude – but not happiness – makes them more patient. (Dr. Li’s decision-making research can be explored in this blog post ).

True to the observation of the Poets & Quants judges, Li’s passion in the classroom shows, and he’s particularly interested in the diversity of the students he teaches. “UC Riverside leads all major U.S. universities in students with Pell Grants, and more than half of students are first-generation college-goers,” he says. “So, I consider my efforts to make the class resonate with them, time well spent.”

He admits to being lucky to teach a subject he’s passionate about, but he adds, “My favorite moments are when students report using class concepts in their lives and jobs.” In addition, in May 2022, graduate students awarded him a “Golden Apple” for excellence in teaching graduate elective courses.

Dr. Marlo Raveendran, associate professor of management, teaching in her Corporate Strategy course.

Associate Professor of Management Marlo Raveendran’s interactive teaching style and emphasis on critical thinking makes her a favorite among our students.

Perhaps one of the highest compliments a professor may receive is “I wish I could take her class again.” This statement from a student was among many declarations of support that the Poets & Quants editors published as evidence of Marlo Raveendran’s effectiveness in the classroom.

Raveendran’s research explores the way in which organizational structure and design decisions are influenced by individuals inside a firm. “The most practical discovery I’ve made is just how much our human nature influences organizational decisions,” she says. “When studying how groups of strangers approach division of labor … we were struck by how quickly they took newly formed group structures as given, even when the task allowed for more efficient choices.”

With a pronounced interactive teaching style, Raveendran integrates the deep knowledge she’s acquired through her research into her courses, including the core strategy class she teaches: “The concepts and frameworks are extremely simple. Instead of focusing on the content, I try to teach my students to think more analytically and to question what they read and what I say,” she says. “I love seeing my students’ minds grow. Over 10 weeks, our conversations deepen, and their responses and reasoning become more and more analytical and sophisticated.”

That strategy’s effectiveness is borne out in the student’s further observation of Raveendran’s teaching style: “[She] makes the topics she teaches interesting and shows she cares about students. It makes even the quiet students speak up and participate.” In addition, graduate students awarded her a “Golden Apple” in spring 2020 for excellence in teaching graduate core courses. Find out more about how Dr. Raveendran shares her love for learning, diversity, and real-world applications in this blog post .

Both Dr. Li and Dr. Raveendran received promotions this year to Associate Professors.”

To learn about the Class of 2024, click on the links below.

MBA Student	Hometown	Undergrad Alma Mater	Last Employer
Harman Dhillon	Diamond Bar, CA	California State University, San Bernardino	Ayres Hotels
Jiabei (Bay) Hu	Huangshi City, China	Guangxi University of Nationalities	Johnson Controls
Stephanie Jimenez	Fontana, CA	University of California, Riverside	Charles Schwab
Pujith Sai Kumar Reddy Nooka	Andhra Pradesh, India	Aarupadai Veedu Institute of Technology	Amazon
Evelyn Lazo	Murrieta, CA	University of Redlands	Navy Federal Credit Union
Yiqun Li	Yiwu, China	Beijing Foreign Studies University	Tianhua Enterprise Management Group
Khue Ngo	Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam	California State University, Northridge	Allstate Insurance Company
Snigdha Ojha	Rewa, India	Institute of Excellence in Higher Education	SHEIN International
Sean Payan	San Clemente, CA	Excelsior College	U.S. Army
Grant Rueca	Foster City, CA	University of California, Riverside	University of California, Riverside
Joanna Alice Sippetts	London, United Kingdom	University of Nottingham	Lawn Tennis Association
Nadia Witt	Keizer, OR	University of California, Riverside	University of California, Riverside

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Poets & Quants Q&A: Dean Wang, Assoc. Dean Zwick

ilseu — Mon, 28 Mar 2022 06:11:04 +0000

Poets & Quants Q&A: Dean Wang, Assoc. Dean Zwick ilseu Sun, 03/27/2022 - 23:11 More Blog Posts Jeff Schmitt | Poets & Quants March 13, 2022

Q&A WITH AGSM DEAN AND ASSOCIATE DEAN

There is a saying that UCR stands for “U Can Reach” — whether it is landing a job at a dream employer or transitioning to a different career. And the MBA program caters to the strivers who think big and work hard. So what is in store for future MBA students at AGSM? Recently, P&Q posed several questions to Dr. Yunzeng Wang, the school dean, and Dr. Rami Zwick, associate dean of graduate programs and professor of marketing. From the program’s required internship to its most popular courses, here is what makes the AGSM MBA experience so distinctive and valuable.

P&Q: What are the two most exciting developments at your program and how will they enrich the MBA experience for current and future MBAs?

Dean Wang: “The UCR School of Business is building a new business school complex to accommodate our growing student enrollment along with our growing portfolio of graduate programs. Working alongside our UC Riverside campus partners, we now have a building site and will launch an RFP in early 2022, with groundbreaking planned for late 2022. The new School of Business facility will be a LEED Platinum building that will serve as a regional hub for learning, research, innovation, and community engagement. It will house the A. Gary Anderson Graduate School of Management, the undergraduate business programs, the school’s Centers of Excellence along with state-of-the-art classrooms, group study rooms, conference rooms, a graduate student lounge and locker room, a 300-seat auditorium, a multipurpose event space, a soaring atrium with open-space collaboration areas on every floor, and exterior terraces and seating areas for gatherings of all sizes. Our move-in date is scheduled for fall 2024 with celebrations planned for our students, alumni, and community stakeholders. This carefully-planned facility will provide our students and the dynamic Inland Empire/Southern California community the opportunity to connect, innovate, and collaborate at entirely new levels.

UCR AGSM students volunteer to plant trees with the TreePeople organization

This is an incredibly exciting time to be at the UCR School of Business. We just finished our 2022-2027 strategic plan, and the next couple of years will fly by as we break ground on our new state-of-the-art business school building, grow our faculty by 30 percent to serve our growing student population, and expand our portfolio of programs. The energy, excitement, and anticipation around this powerful plan is palpable.

Our mission says we will “…unlock potential through exceptional educational experience…contributing to the upward mobility for our diverse student population. Our university has been ranked No. 1 for Social Mobility for the last three years, and the School of Business is a contributor to that not only in our undergraduate program, but in our MBA program. More than half of our domestic graduate students identify as a member of an underrepresented group (URMs). During our recruitment, we actively engage prospective students from all backgrounds, and consider each student in a holistic manner. The result is that not only has our domestic student enrollment increased, but so have the average GPA, GMAT/GRE scores, and the average months of work experience for our incoming cohort. By focusing on diversity during the recruitment process, we are keeping our mission and values—Inclusion, Integrity, Innovation and Collaboration—at the forefront, ensuring our students experience their program in an environment that mirrors the changing workforce and consumer base—giving them an advantage when they graduate and join the workforce.”

Dr. Zwick: “Our students are our secret weapon. Their attitude is best described as ‘work hard, no entitlement, you earn it.’”

Yunzeng Wang, Dean of UCR AGSM

P&Q: What are two biggest differentiating features of your MBA program? How do each of these enrich the learning of your MBA students?

Dean Wang: “We have advantageous student-to-faculty and student-to-staff ratios, allowing us to get to know our students and their goals, and help support and guide them toward their achievement. The high-touch culture at the School of Business is further evidenced through the extra-curricular opportunities afforded our students through the Ambassador leadership development program, the Student Association, and the Career Development Center [Student] Advisory Board, in addition to other clubs and experiential learning. Students liaise with alumni, employers, non-profit organizations, and city and county leaders to organize events, volunteer, and mentor — all the while developing important soft skills, expanding their networks, and leveraging their graduate education experience to the fullest.

As part of the University of California, the world’s leading public research university system, we attract top scholars from around the world. Our faculty publish in leading business journals and take that knowledge into the classroom, teaching relevant and applicable knowledge to future business leaders, while providing a nurturing and safe environment to create, innovate and explore, both inside and outside the classroom. And two of our MBA professors were among Poets and Quants’ 40 Under 40 MBA Professors in 2020.

Our location further provides our students a unique and outstanding experience: Inland Southern California is one of the fastest growing regions in the country and is at the nexus of international trade and commerce, the logistical hub for nearly half of America’s imported goods. The School of Business has some of the leading scholars in Operations & Supply Chain Management, providing students an ideal learning environment for this critical function in the global economy. Furthermore, Riverside is known for its entrepreneurial culture, outranking some of the better known entrepreneurship hotspots in California.

We challenge our students and transform the way they view the world and themselves through exposure to new business concepts and theories, new cultures, and stepping out of the familiar, to make the most of this experience and their careers. UCR Business is a place where dreams are turned into reality. Our incredible faculty and staff, who are leading scholars and dedicated professionals in their fields, pour themselves into our students’ success.”

P&Q: In recent years, there have been several areas that have gained increased prominence in business school programming, including STEM, analytics, artificial intelligence and digital disruption. How does your full-time MBA program integrate these concepts across its curriculum?

Dr. Zwick: “The UCR MBA program has had a STEM focus since it was developed in 1971, providing an expeditious STEM designation by the Department of Homeland Security. While the curriculum has been updated over the years, the solid foundation in data analytics, data visualization, and programming language(s) has allowed our students to navigate digital disruptions as solutions for future business models that provide efficiency and sustainability. Real-life case studies are brought into the classroom and seminars, and are discussed and analyzed by and among the students and faculty.”

UC Riverside A. Gary Anderson Graduate School of Management (AGSM)

P&Q: UC Riverside has traditionally been strong in attracting women and underrepresented minorities to its MBA programs? What types of support do you provide to these populations that have made the program so appealing?

Dean Wang: “UCR has consistently been ranked No.1 in the nation for social mobility. The campus is situated in an incredibly diverse area populated by typically underserved populations. The university champions these students, and offers services—financial support, peer mentorship, programs for undocumented students, gender and ethnic clubs, a Women’s Resource Center, and other opportunities—to support them throughout their educational journey. The School of Business and the MBA program are no different: Students choose us because of our diversity, the uniqueness of our location, the high-touch friendly and supportive culture of the school, and of course, for the top scholars that make UCR their home with pioneering research and excellence in the classroom.

We have pipeline programs including leadership seminars and mentorship programs for underrepresented groups and international students. We also have developed strategic partnerships with local companies and organizations such as Greater Riverside Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, creating opportunities for their employees and members.

Women typically make up about half of our MBA cohort enrollment. We offer professional development and other DEI learning opportunities including the Women in Leadership Series. The new Women in Business student organization provides role models and facilitates students connecting and building community with established local and regional leaders.

To promote equitable access, the school is committed to providing academic and financial support to students from underrepresented groups, and as a result, boasts of significant representation from students of these racial/ethnic groups as well as first-generation college students. This helps ease the stress of what is traditionally known as a competitive environment. We have built a culture of collaboration that leverages the strength of a diverse student body, faculty and staff, making the school unique and successful.

Our students continually inspire me with their strength of character, drive to overcome obstacles, and commitment to one another and to making the world a better place. We, the faculty and staff at UCR Business, are here every day working on their behalf to gather the resources—including financial and academic support; physical space; and valuable connections with our alumni network, employers, and community partners—to facilitate their dreams, goals, and ambitions.”

UCR AGSM students dine with a retired executive from Solar Max

P&Q: Your program includes a required internship, Fieldwork in Management. What types of internships (i.e. companies, roles, assignments) have your MBAs enjoyed recently with the program? How does the MBA program, particularly career services, support MBAs in their employment efforts?

Dean Wang: “The UCR AGSM* Career Development Center prepares MBA candidates to stand out in a competitive job market in diverse industries and occupations by providing internship opportunities, career development resources, career counseling, job search strategies and planning, career readiness skill building, and other workshops and events. Our students have landed internship roles in project management, operations and supply chain, strategic marketing, e-commerce, digital marketing, brand management, media, sales, talent acquisition, human resources, data analytics, management, and as business analysts, operations analysts, auditors, accountants, financial analysts, product managers, and social media managers. Furthermore, our students have interned or landed jobs in tech, Fortune 500 companies, the Big Four accounting firms, and in local small businesses in the Inland Empire. Among these companies are Deloitte, KPMG, PricewaterhouseCoopers, EY, Walmart, The Walt Disney Company, T-Mobile, AT&T, Goldman Sachs, Northrop Grumman, Amazon, JPMorgan Chase, Target, Nike, Wells Fargo, Fox Corporation, PepsiCo, Morgan Stanley, Verizon, Kia Motors, and Nordstrom. For a larger list please visit: Graduate Career Development Center | School of Business (ucr.edu).

The school’s Career Development Center (CDC) also provides MBA candidates with additional career services including how to build a lifelong network, professional social media branding, and developing interviewing skills and career documents (resume and cover letters). The CDC creates workshops and plans networking events, career panels, and employer recruitment events. In addition, the CDC collaborates with colleagues across the school to host a summer professional and career development program for incoming students called BusinessReady. There is also a mentoring program and Micro Internship Program with alumni. Finally, the CDC has created a leadership program, the CDC Advisory Board, which includes MBA candidates who represent the school with employers and provide peer-to-peer support and other resources.”

* A. Gary Anderson Graduate School of Management (AGSM) at the UCR School of Business

Rami Zwick, Associate Dean for Graduate Programs and Professor of Marketing

P&Q: The MBA program is now STEM-certified. What types of advantages does this give your students to prospective employers?

Dr. Zwick: “Graduates from the STEM-focused program are in high demand for all businesses. Many businesses are shifting to using technology and big data to reduce costs and predict future events/trends, improving forecasting and project planning. The STEM designation has a strong foundation and extensive training in data analytics, data visualization, scientific research, programming languages, and so forth. This is very attractive to prospective students because it offers employment flexibility across business disciplines. Soft skills are also emphasized and reinforced throughout the MBA coursework.

Our MBA program with a STEM-designation is advantageous for employers and international students because students can be considered for employment for up to three years after graduation without needing a special US visa.”

P&Q: What are your two most unique or popular MBA courses? Why do these courses resonate so deeply with your students?

Dean Wang: “Dr. Elaine Wong’s Organizational Behavior class is a perennial favorite. She is passionate about her subject matter and has a unique ability to engage students. Throughout the course, Dr. Wong uses a variety of interactive methods, so students have the opportunity to learn, test their understanding, and practice these learnings in a supportive environment.

Dr. Rich Yueh’s Information Systems class – Professor Rich Yueh does an excellent job bringing disruptive and innovative technology into the classroom for students to learn and apply across different fields of business, from accounting to operations, and finance and marketing. The course does a great job of introducing new concepts to students who may have had very little exposure to programming and technology including Tableau, R, Power BI, C++, Python, and SQL. Yueh teaches in a very understandable and manageable way, immersing beginners as well as advanced learners. He even supports students as faculty advisor to the new Programming Club on campus!

And, two of our MBA professors, Ye Li and Marlo Raveendran, were named Poets & Quants, 40 Under 40 MBA professors in 2020.”

UCR AGSM students meet with Assistant Professor Ye Li, a P&Q Best 40 Under 40 Professor

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UCR Business Class of 2023 student portraits (top left to bottom right): Franchesca Jefferson, David Cooper, Jordan Greene, Jashan Meet, Stephanie Moya, Ruby Young, Sweeta Mulji, Camila Chavez, Chang Deng, Spriha Kumari, and Leonardo Targia.

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UCR Business Representation in Student Senate

ilseu — Thu, 27 Jan 2022 19:53:55 +0000

UCR Business Representation in Student Senate ilseu Thu, 01/27/2022 - 11:53 More Blog Posts Elias Almarez-Herrera ’23 January 10, 2022

In November, School of Business Dean Yunzeng Wang was the featured speaker at the first in-person Associated Students of UCR (ASUCR) town hall meeting of the 2021-22 academic year. Among the topics discussed by senators, students, and the dean was the issue of increasing visibility of the School of Business within the student senate chamber, a lingering issue of great importance to all business students.

ASUCR senators and business administration students (from left), Victoria Nguyen ’24, Angelina Chavez ’23, Helen Chu ’23, and Hoang Vu ’23.

Currently, there are no senators from the School of Business because the two-year business major is not a four-year program. College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (CHASS) senators represent both CHASS and BUSINESS students and were the senators who facilitated the School of Business town hall meeting.

“The approval needed to create School of Business senators has been voted against by the senate,” says business administration student and CHASS Senator Victoria Nguyen ’23. “Although our title is CHASS senator, we strive to represent the School of Business as much as possible by pushing for more representation. Changing the ASUCR bylaws takes time.”

The support of Dean Wang enabled much of the success of the town hall. He spoke about the future of the School of Business at UCR, including major initiatives and projects that are currently being planned.

“In years past and over the next three to five years, we have worked [and will continue] to improve inconveniences of transferring from CHASS pre-business to the School of Business,” said Wang. “The current structure puts extra stress on students to meet the minimum requirements needed to transfer.”

Each student on the pre-business track is required to maintain a grade point average of 2.7 or higher to be eligible for a transfer into the School of Business. Once the transfer process is complete, students may continue with their upper-division requirements as business students. Senators and the dean are advocating for immediate enrollment in the School of Business to create a cohesive experience without requiring students to apply for transfer.

“With a four-year business program, more time could be spent developing the undergraduate program and training students for graduate school and career success,” said Wang.

Another topic covered during the town hall was the new building for the School of Business. This would shift class locations from the University Theater to the School of Business complex, encompassing the new building and Anderson Hall. While this is still in the planning stages, a target opening date is expected for late fall 2024.

ASUCR senators plan to return to in-person town hall events later in the winter quarter or early spring quarter.

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Banner image: ASUCR senator Helen Chu '23 (right) and UCR Business dean Yunzeng Wang (left)

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