Poets & Quants

A Q&A with UCR AGSM Leadership

ilseu — Thu, 05 Dec 2024 00:19:46 +0000

A Q&A with UCR AGSM Leadership ilseu Wed, 12/04/2024 - 16:19 More News Meghan Marrin | Poets & Quants December 04, 2024

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 2026."

Meet the UC Riverside School of Business MBA Class of 2026

An Interview with the UCR Business Leadership Team

Poets&Quants: Give us your one-minute pitch for your business school. What makes your program unique?

The School of Business, home of the A. Gary Anderson Graduate School of Management (AGSM) at University of California, Riverside, fosters a collaborative environment where diverse perspectives enhance teamwork and communication skills. Located in Southern California, a global economic and logistics hub, we offer students access to international scholars and researchers, study abroad programs, and proximity and connections with global companies, providing a universal business perspective — a hallmark of this region.

Time and again, our graduates declare that our practical and forward-looking blend of cutting-edge research, strong career focus and guidance, extensive emphasis offerings, personalized support for students, small class sizes, and individualized attention from faculty have ensured their upward mobility and leadership opportunities in a competitive job market.

We also support participation in national recruiting conferences, case competitions, and career-related associations, guaranteeing our students establish powerful networks and gain practical, firsthand experience. Our new, state-of-the-art facility provides a comfortable, inspiring, and flexible space for collaboration and innovation.

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?

The graduate programs have developed a more career-focused student support model within the student affairs team. The Graduate Student Success team houses academic and career support within one unit. This allowed the program to bring in highly trained industry experts to guide our MBA students before starting their programs, keeping the career conversation front and center in every interaction throughout their academic and professional journey in the program. These experts help students land internships during their second year and offer invaluable guidance through every stage of the job recruitment cycle. This tailored career support enhances student success and strengthens their competitiveness in the job market. School of Business Dean Yunzeng Wang emphasizes the importance of early career guidance, stating, “Expanding the team and bringing in field experts will help students secure top-tier internships, providing invaluable career counseling and mentorship. This proactive approach will empower our students to excel in their job search and achieve their career aspirations.”

In addition to merging career and academic support, the School of Business has provided additional resources through the role of assistant dean of external relations to build stronger connections within the community and corporate partners. This strategic move facilitates the development of a more extensive alumni network and expands opportunities for experiential learning, including capstone projects, internships, case competitions, and job placements. By immersing students in real-world experiences and connecting them with industry professionals, we aim to elevate their MBA journey and future career outcomes.

Sustainability has emerged as a major attraction to prospective MBA students. How does your full-time MBA program integrate sustainability across its curriculum?

Rami Zwick, UCR associate dean of graduate programs

At the UC Riverside School of Business, sustainability is integral to our full-time MBA program, reflecting our commitment to creating a positive impact across academic, social and environmental dimensions.

Our programs seamlessly integrate sustainability principles and practices across its curriculum. Rami Zwick, associate dean of graduate programs, explains the importance of keeping up with the complex challenges that emerge in the business world. “The business landscape is constantly evolving, and sustainability has emerged as a key driver of innovation and growth. To meet the evolving needs and interests of our MBA students, we continually adapt our curriculum to incorporate the latest trends and best practices in sustainable business,” says Zwick.

Core curriculum courses, such as strategic management, operations management, finance, and marketing, incorporate sustainability considerations. For instance, strategic management courses explore sustainable business models and risk assessment, while operations management delves into supply chain sustainability and lean manufacturing. Finance courses discuss ESG factors and sustainable finance, and marketing courses cover sustainable marketing practices and green branding.

Students can further delve into sustainability through elective courses, such as those focused on renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, or social entrepreneurship. Additionally, UCR’s interdisciplinary approach allows students to collaborate with faculty and students from other disciplines, gaining a broader perspective on sustainability issues.

Experiential learning opportunities, including internships and case studies, provide hands-on experience in addressing real-world sustainability challenges. Community engagement initiatives encourage students to participate in local environmental organizations or work on campus sustainability projects.

UCR’s faculty includes experts in sustainability, who bring their knowledge and research to the classroom. Furthermore, strong industry partnerships provide students with opportunities to learn from industry practitioners and explore career paths in sustainable organizations.

By integrating sustainability into its core curriculum, electives, experiential learning, and faculty expertise, UCR’s full-time MBA program prepares graduates to become responsible and innovative business leaders capable of driving positive environmental and social impact.

In terms of social sustainability, UC Riverside is ranked No. 1 in social mobility, and we proudly educate a diverse student body, including many from underrepresented and first-generation groups. By providing access to a graduate education for these students, we promote social equity and foster an inclusive learning environment, further evidenced by the supportive community structure within our program. Our MBA cohort also demonstrates gender parity, reinforcing our dedication to diversity and equal opportunity.

On the environmental front, our state-of-the-art, LEED Platinum-certified building exemplifies sustainable design. Constructed with white cement, which reduces heat absorption and contributes to energy efficiency, our building features solar panels and windows that provide natural light while minimizing energy consumption. Additionally, our no-waste initiative aims to reduce waste and lower our carbon footprint. We encourage sustainable transportation with additional bike racks and supporting the use of scooters and skateboards, further reducing our environmental impact.

How does your school incorporate technology into the curriculum and how has it engaged students and faculty on the use or incorporation of such new, emerging technologies?

Rich Yueh, UCR assistant professor of teaching in information systems

At UCR AGSM, our curriculum is infused with cutting-edge technology to enhance both learning and teaching. Our approach ensures that students and faculty stay at the forefront of emerging technological trends that are shaping the business world.

For example, Rich Yueh, assistant professor of teaching in information systems, incorporates AI and machine learning into his courses, allowing students to explore how these technologies are transforming industries and decision-making processes. Yueh explains the resources available at the university for faculty to adopt AI more into their classrooms saying, “For faculty who wish to use AI in their classes, UCR’s XCITE Center for Teaching and Learning offers support with teaching talks and a Slack workspace about AI in higher education. XCITE also provides augmented and virtual reality hardware, training on using technology in classes, and instructional design support on which technologies and tools are best suited for various classes.

Our students engage with new technologies through student organizations such as Association for Information Systems, Women in Computing, and Design@UCR.”

Similarly, Professors Ashish Sood and Ye Li leverage data analytics and digital tools in their classrooms to help students analyze consumer behavior and market dynamics, so that they have real-world, tech-driven skills and knowledge.

Our state-of-the-art Finance Lab, equipped with real-time stock ticker and market data, immerses students in the world of finance, offering them hands-on experience with trading platforms and financial analysis software. This lab replicates the technology used in top financial institutions, preparing our students for careers in investment banking, asset management, and corporate finance.

The classroom technology in our recently opened School of Business building further enriches the student experience. Advanced audiovisual systems, interactive whiteboards, and digital collaboration tools create an engaging and dynamic learning environment, encouraging active participation and collaboration between students and faculty.

By embedding these technologies into our curriculum, our students understand current technological advancements and know how to apply them in business contexts. This emphasis on technology improves their problem-solving capabilities and makes them more competitive in the fast-evolving global marketplace.

What are some key elements in your teaching of leadership? What types of options does your school offer that deepens student experience with leadership and makes them more competitive in the marketplace?

Our approach to teaching leadership at UCR Business is both comprehensive and hands-on, preparing students to be dynamic, effective leaders in today’s complex business landscape. One of the foundational elements of our leadership training is the four-day orientation, where students begin forming critical leadership skills through immersive workshops and team-building activities. Additionally, we’ve reintroduced Communications, Leadership, Teams, and Ethics, a core course that deepens leadership knowledge and application.

Our curriculum covers essential topics including employee behavior and motivation, where students learn to understand and inspire their teams effectively, and bargaining and negotiation, equipping them with the skills to reach mutually beneficial agreements. Team development is another focus, teaching students how to build and manage high-performing teams, while leadership and innovation fosters creative thinking and forward-looking leadership practices.

We also emphasize managing diversity, preparing students to navigate and thrive in diverse work environments, and human resource management, where they learn strategies for optimizing organizational resources. The Strategic Change and Corporate Strategy and Strategic Alliances courses provide insights into implementing and managing change, as well as formulating and executing business strategies. The culmination is the Strategy Formulation and Implementation course, which gives students the tools to plan and deliver successful business outcomes.

These offerings, combined with real-world experiences like internships, case competitions, and experiential projects, provide our students with a deep, practical understanding of leadership, making them highly competitive in the marketplace. Through these elements, our graduates are not just skilled managers, but visionary leaders capable of driving organizational success.

What is your biggest student-run event of the year and what does it reflect about your school?

Sabine Freij, UCR assistant dean of graduate programs

Our biggest student-run event of the year is the Women in Business Conference, held annually in March. This conference, with attendees from all University of California sister schools, promotes women in leadership and highlights our commitment to gender equity and empowerment. The event serves as a platform for current and future leaders to engage in meaningful discussions about advancing women’s roles in business, offers valuable networking opportunities, and fosters cross-campus collaboration.

As Dr. Sabine Freij, assistant dean of graduate programs, aptly states, “The Women in Business Conference is a testament to our school’s unwavering commitment to gender equity and empowering the next generation of female leaders. By bringing together students from across the UC system, we nurture a vibrant community that celebrates diversity, innovation, and collaboration.”

In addition, the School of Business Leadership Council (SBLC) unites business-related clubs and organizations under one governance. This centralization solidifies communication, collaboration, and the overall student experience, reflecting our school’s dedication to fostering leadership, inclusivity, and a strong sense of community within our diverse student population.

Freij continues, “The initiatives of SBLC and other student organizations reflect our school’s commitment to providing a holistic education that equips our students with the skills and knowledge to succeed in a rapidly changing world.” These initiatives embody our values of inclusivity, leadership, and support for all students in their professional and personal growth.

What are your two most popular traditions at the school? How do these reflect the spirit and mission of the institution?

Annual beach bonfire

“Two of our most popular traditions at the UC Riverside School of Business are the annual beach bonfire and the hike to the ‘C,’” says Sabine Freij. These events reflect the vibrant community spirit and collaborative culture that define our institution.

The bonfire is a longstanding AGSM custom bringing students, faculty, and alumni together in a relaxed setting, fostering camaraderie and school pride. This gathering exemplifies the close-knit community that UC Riverside values, where relationships are built both inside and outside the classroom, aligning with our mission to create a supportive and inclusive environment.

The “C” on the hillside is a visible symbol of our university, and the hike is another beloved tradition that embodies perseverance and teamwork. Students, faculty, and staff make the trek together, and this activity reflects the spirit of determination and collective achievement, values that are central to our mission of empowering students to overcome challenges and succeed both academically and professionally. These fun and informal rituals crystalize our commitment to building community, resilience, and pride among our students.

Click on the links below to access student profiles:

Name	Hometown	Alma Mater	Last Job
Bart Archuleta	Corona, California	UC Riverside	VA School Certifying Assistant
Pin-Yu Huang	Taipei, Taiwan	National Taiwan Ocean University	Sales & Marketing Specialist
Alec Kazmier	Riverside, California	UC Riverside	Senior Account Manager
Gabrielle Kiger	Hermosa Beach, California	UC Riverside	Financial Analyst Intern
Surbhi Kwatra	Gurgaon, Haryana, India	Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University	Business Analyst
Aliyah Nelson	Westfield, New Jersey	San Diego State University	Health & Science Professional
Richa Rishu	Muzaffarpur, Bihar, India	L. N. Mishra College of Business Administration	Operations Manager
Dyami Ruiz-Martinez	Ontario, California	UC Irvine	Real Estate Broker
Blake Sanchez	San Clemente, California	UC Riverside	Office Assistant
Kathiroli Vasu	Chennai, India	Vellore Institute of Technology	Assistant Manager

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Poets & Quants

PMBA News

Meet the UCR School of Business MBA Class of 2026

ilseu — Wed, 04 Dec 2024 23:55:05 +0000

Meet the UCR School of Business MBA Class of 2026 ilseu Wed, 12/04/2024 - 15:55 More News Meghan Marrin | Poets & Quants December 05, 2024

This article was recently published on Poets & Quants, a premium online resource for prospective graduate business students worldwide. Also read the second part of the article: "A Q&A with UCR AGSM Leadership."

Ambitious, driven, and collaborative. These are just a few words to describe a UC-Riverside Anderson Graduate School of Management MBA student. They’re everything you’d expect to find at a business school that ranked No. 78 in the United States this year.

If you’re looking for students who are strong team players, you’ll find them here.

They come to the school with all sorts of interests, from marketing, tech, and finance to AI and beyond. It’s clear that Riverside AGSM MBAs possess the drive and capability to make a significant impact in the world.

WHY NOW AND WHY RIVERSIDE?

Why are they pursuing their MBA, and why did they choose Riverside? For some, it’s about personal growth and new opportunities. Others are looking to gain deeper insight into different fields, or build out their professional network.

Class of 2026 MBA students in front of the brand new UCR School of Business Building

MBA Alec Kazmier is a Riverside local driven by his constant desire to push his personal limits and continue learning. He plans to pursue innovative ventures within international markets.

“I am pursuing my MBA to accelerate my personal and professional growth, and this was the right time for me to do so because I feel ready to tackle new challenges and leverage advanced skills to make a significant impact in my field,” he shares.

Historically, about half of the school’s MBAs are international students. One of them, Pin-Yu Huang, came to Riverside from Taiwan.

“This is the perfect time for me to pursue my MBA because I’ve discovered my true passions, “ she says. As a sales and marketing specialist in the petrochemical industry, she has returned to business school to sharpen her skills in one specific area: data.

“I’m eager to learn how to extract and analyze information and build data-driven strategies to gain deeper insights and advance my career,” she says.

Wanting to dive deeper into finance and investment while maintaining her passion for golf, MBA Gabrielle Kiger came to Riverside to gain a competitive edge in the job market. “This seemed like the right time for me because I still have one more year of eligibility to play golf: I can continue to both grow my academic knowledge and play the sport that I love.”

WHAT STANDS OUT AT RIVERSIDE?

There are many factors that make Riverside an attractive option for students. For Kiger, it was the abundance of career fairs and valuable networking opportunities with highly selective corporations. “This is important to me because I am able to speak with them personally and learn more about their jobs and how their companies function,” she says.

Another important draw for her was the chance to meet with Riverside alumni and their networks.

Students in front of the new Finance & Analytics Lab in the new building

Having experienced many cultures as an avid traveler and first generation student, MBA Dyami Ruiz-Martinez found Riverside’s dedication to working with local companies particularly appealing. “As a resident of the region, I was particularly drawn to UCR’s MBA because of the school’s active role in shaping the region’s economic and social development,” he says.

Innovation and global business perspectives: That’s what stood out to Kathiroli Vasu about the AGSM. “Understanding how to manage innovation effectively is crucial for my career goals, especially in a rapidly evolving sector like automotive,” she says.

FAVORITE CLUBS AND ACTIVITIES

A native of India, Vasu has led many successful projects at Norton Motorcycles and is looking to drive change in the industry. “I have joined the school’s Product Club and am excited about the workshops and collaboration activities.”

Also a member of the Product Club is dance enthusiast Richa Rishu. “I love being part of a collaborative environment engaging in discussions about product development, strategy, and innovation, along with an ambassador leadership role,” says Rishu.

Rishu recently worked for HDFC Bank as an operations manager. Though her classes started this fall, she got a good glimpse at life at Riverside months back through their Summer with UCR and Business Ready programs.

“I thoroughly enjoyed each orientation session as they were informative, innovative, and fun,” she says.

Looking to boost his competitiveness and step into a management role, MBA Bart Archuleta is ready to leverage his local knowledge and connections as he takes his career to the next level. He has worked at Riverside’s VA school as a Certifying Official Assistant.

“As an undergraduate, I was very involved with the campus Student Veterans Organization, and I plan to continue in this capacity, assisting and networking with other veterans to better our community.”

He is still with the organization, and recently led a fossil dig for veterans.

UCR Business Class of 2026 MBA students in front of the UCR Barn

KEY TAKEAWAYS THUS FAR

Among the many things that AGSM MBAs experience, what memories resonate the most with them? Thus far, Archuleta was surprised to learn that the amount of learning that he retains comes down to how much he chooses to apply himself. On a non-academic level, he is learning how important and enjoyable networking can be.

“I was able to secure two separate internships that would’ve been much harder to obtain had it not been for the connections I’ve made.”

Film enthusiast and MBA Blake Sanchez has learned how crucial it is to both solve technical problems and communicate effectively. “The way you approach conversations, including your tone and consideration for others’ perspectives, can be the key to avoiding conflict and completing tasks efficiently,” he shares.

On a more personal level, Sanchez didn’t expect to get to know others so quickly. “I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how quickly a sense of community forms in the program despite most of us not knowing each other beforehand,” he adds.

Currently employed for Pfizer as a health and science professional in women’s health, MBA Aliyah Nelson is passionate about making a positive impact in healthcare locally and internationally. “Many of the assignments and projects involve solving actual business problems and how to effectively use resources in the real business world,” she shares.

She didn’t expect AI to be such a prominent part of the curriculum, and says it has been fascinating to see how these tools can be leveraged for decision-making, data analysis, and optimizing business processes. “This knowledge has opened my eyes to new possibilities for innovation,” says Nelson.

LESSONS TO PASS ON TO FUTURE MBAs

For those looking to join the Riverside MBA family, Nelson advises prospective students to “clearly articulate your experiences, strengths, accomplishments, and motivations in your application.”

She also suggests applicants “take the time to network and reach out to current students, alumni, and faculty” to gain insight and to help them get a better sense of the community and decide if the school is the right fit for them.

Growing up in India, business analyst and MBA Surbhi Kwatra was always challenging herself to do something new every day, Her advice to prospective MBAs? “Just be yourself and let your unique background and experience tell a story about who you are.”

Like Nelson, she also suggests prospective students speak to the current students and alumni to learn more and get insights about the program.

Next Page: A Q&A with members of AGSM’s leadership team and profiles of 10 members of the Class of 2026.

Page 2

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MBA News

Meet the UCR School of Business MBA Class of 2025

ilseu — Mon, 04 Dec 2023 19:57:47 +0000

Meet the UCR School of Business MBA Class of 2025 ilseu Mon, 12/04/2023 - 11:57 More News Meghan Marrin | Poets & Quants December 04, 2023

“Study hard, work hard and play harder.” That is MBA Fengan (Phannel) Li's motto, and it suits many of the other MBAs in this year’s class at the UC Riverside A. Gary Anderson Graduate School of Management.

UCR MBAs, many of whom are international (51% this year), first-generation, and underrepresented students, come to the program for a variety of reasons — so naturally, their needs and interest vary.

Some have backgrounds in the Navy and Air Force, some in entrepreneurship, and some in consulting and marketing; some wish to keep on their current career path, while others are looking to pivot. But they all have one thing in common: dedication.

Quite intentionally, the program prioritizes offering personalized attention to cater to the individual needs and objectives of every student. Located an hour outside Los Angeles, the school connects with the diverse business landscape of the region. Recent graduates have secured positions in an assortment of companies like Google, Tesla, Amazon, Disney, JPMorgan Chase, Hulu, and PepsiCo.

Charting a Course for an MBA at Riverside

MBAs choose to pursue their degrees for a wide array of reasons. As a member of the Brazilian Navy, UCR MBA Luiz Fernando do Nascimento Vieira chose to set sail on the course for an MBA at Riverside for both personal and professional reasons.

“As I progress and take on greater responsibilities in my naval career, the weight of my decisions becomes increasingly significant,” says Vieira, who has held a 16-year career managing supplies on ships, overseeing the procurement of supplies for Brazilian submarines, and advising on financial matters for the Submarine Force staff just to name a few things.

He will be taking on even more responsibility post-MBA. “After graduation, I hope to be equipped with new skills and knowledge that will not only guide these critical decisions but also allow me to improve my organization and establish a broader world view and perspective,” adds Vieira. He plans to return to work in the Navy post-grad, where he will be leading organizations or advising on pivotal decisions. “It’s imperative to remain informed and continually seek innovative solutions and ideas to better serve my institution,” he says.

Unlike Vieira, MBA Yingchao Fu prefers the land to the sea, yet similarly to Vieira, she has over a decade of experience in her industry. “It was the right time for me to start a new journey,” she says.

UCR AGSM Students at the annual campus color festival celebration

A New Voyage through UCR

“I have 12 years of work experience in vehicle engineering, and I can clearly see the promotion path I will have in the vehicle industry. I have varied engineering and team-management experience, and the UCR MBA program is a good chance for me to explore future career opportunities,” says Fu. She’s planning on working to design more efficient vehicles in the future.

“I’d like to merge new technology into vehicles to redefine the expectations of a car,” she says. “In the future, automobiles will serve as more than just transportation with integrated functions and innovative technology—almost like a home that’s mobile as people spend more time in their cars.”

MBA Ishita Singhal, from India, is pursuing her degree to master all there is to know about brand reach, marketing, and social responsibility in order to lead a culture of responsible marketing. “Filtering through the large pool of prospective colleges, I was certain about studying at a university that would help inculcate a mindset of excellence and innovation, provide global perspectives, and hone my leadership skills,” she says.

At UCR, Singhal has been sharpening her analytical, creative, and social intelligence leadership skills. “Today’s interlinked challenges in the changing business landscapes demand exactly such leaders, and this kind of preparation is what I found at UCR.”

AGSM Student Ambassadors celebrate with the dean and executive fellows at the annual Fellows Installation Dinner

A Sense of Tranquility from the get-go

Many MBAs felt a sense of readiness and tranquility entering the fall semester, in part due to the Summer with UCR and Business Ready program that played a key role in their smooth transition into the rhythm of MBA life.

Though they officially began the program in the fall of 2023, the UCR experience started months before in the summer. “The curated sessions gave me a glimpse into life at UCR, what to expect, how to be more prepared, and most importantly, how to be business ready.” It was a much-needed prelude for me as I transitioned back into school after working for more than three years,” says Singhal, who previously worked at Deloitte India.

Felipe Gomez also found Riverside’s Business Ready program to be extremely beneficial for connecting with those he’d be spending the next few years studying alongside. A local Californian, Gomez has served in the Marine Corps and hopes to work in supply-chain after graduating. “I connected with classmates, advisors, and staff, which has been extremely beneficial in preparing me for the school year. The activities I enjoyed the most were the reviews of my LinkedIn profile and résumé offered by AGSM’s Career Development Center,” says Gomez.

Professor Rich Yueh uses generative AI tools in his teaching practices

A Selfless and Ambitious Community

Students described the community with many positive words, with diverse being the most frequently stated. A few others stuck out, one in particular: selfless.

“The students and alumni, including the staff, have a positive attitude that is contagious. No matter how busy they are, everyone is willing to offer their time and support with any personal and/or professional challenges you are working through. This is truly inspiring to see, and I hope their selflessness carries on to everyone they touch,” says Gomez.

MBA Manideep Bommakanti was working as a portfolio analyst at BNY Mellon, and he hopes to transition into a role as portfolio manager post-graduation. He describes the others in the UCR community as ambitious. “The peers I have interacted with so far are driven, determined, and eager to excel in their academic pursuits and professional endeavors. This ambition is likely to serve them well in their future careers and contribute to their overall success,” he says.

Manideep is from Hyderabad, India and has studied in Ireland. “The diverse international background of the students also creates a rich and inclusive environment at UCR. I’ve personally felt warmly welcomed, and the openness to various perspectives and cultures has enriched my experience,” says Bommakanti.

Professor Elodie Goodman helps students learn reasoning to solve complex problems in her Quantitative Methods course

What they Learn and a Course they Love

The curriculum in the UCR MBA contains a total of 20 courses, or 80 quarter units over 21 months. The two professional development courses, Business Career Development and Fieldwork in Management, give MBAs the chance to level up their hands-on skills and sharpen their business mindset. Along with the professional development courses, students are expected to complete a capstone group case analysis or write an individual thesis.

In a candidate’s second year, they can choose from seven concentrations in desirable areas, including Accounting, Business Analytics, Finance, Information Systems, Management, Marketing, and Operations & Supply-Chain Management – and some know exactly which they’d like to pursue going in.

For this year’s class, one course stood out as a favorite – Management 205 – Information Systems. Air Force combat veteran Normarie Soto from Orlando says, “The course I’ve enjoyed the most so far is MGT 205 Information Systems. The professor has perfected the content presentation and makes it easy to understand and apply the knowledge to our assignments and group start-up projects.”

Several others stated this as their favorite as well, one of them being social responsibility and sustainable lifestyle enthusiast Phannel Fenian Li. “I have so far enjoyed taking Professor Rich Yueh’s course because, besides the content, it is designed with a strong personality that comes from the professor’s taste in style, his keen grasp on the tech industry, and his perspectives on how to make the ‘information system’ more chic and human,” she says. “He knows how to create an atmosphere for brainstorming in his classes tailor-made for MBA students.”

One of the biggest draws to the UCR MBA for Li was the STEM-designation. “STEM-designated MBA programs go one step further by focusing on technical skills, data analytics, and approaches for innovation management, which was the training I was really looking for,” she says.

MBA candidates connecting with major employer Esri at an in-person career fair

Entrepreneurs on all Horizons

Li is setting forth on a steady course to promote social innovation within marketing post-grad. “After graduation, I want to work for a multinational corporation and promote social innovation in the field of marketing and guide businesses toward sustainability and social responsibility. Long-term goals include becoming a thought leader in marketing and international business promoting gender equality, sustainable fashion, and cross-cultural understanding.”

MBA Wangda Lu from China says he prioritizes his life with trying new things – including traveling, collaborating with well-known TikTokers, and last but never least — entrepreneurial ventures. One of his biggest accomplishments is funding his own business back in Pittsburgh.

“My business Drama Goblin Entertainment became the first board game studio in the Pittsburgh area with more than 1,000 customers. The studio was especially popular among the Chinese community in the Pittsburgh-area; they liked to come and play some board games, including Avalon and Werewolves of Miller’s Hollow.

Professor Ashish Sood connects to his students through interactive activities and by building relationships outside of class

Ambassadors at Work

The UCR MBA has a beloved experience called the ambassador program, consistently named as one of the best opportunities available at the school. Should an MBA be chosen as an ambassador, they become the figurehead of the school, navigating the waters of alumni, donors, Executive Fellows, the community, prospective students, and other essential stakeholders. As ambassadors, they contribute to the community through service, and participating in special networking events.

“It has also been an honor to be selected for the A. Gary Anderson Graduate School of Management (AGSM) Student Ambassador program and represent UCR. As an ambassador, I’m looking forward to attending different events and conferences,” says Lu.

California native Kevin Thiphavong formerly served in the Navy, and he says becoming an ambassador has been the pinnacle of his MBA voyage thus far. “My biggest accomplishment as an MBA student so far is being accepted into the Graduate Student Ambassador program at the A. Gary Anderson Graduate School of Management (AGSM). I was selected among many applicants, and being an ambassador allows me to sharpen my leadership skills, challenge me throughout the school year, and mold me into a better business leader.”

Incoming MBA candidates talking with MBA peer mentors at orientation

Taking the Leap to Begin

For some, the challenge comes during studies but for several, the toughest hurdle to navigate is simply beginning. This was the case for MBA Normarie Soto. “My biggest accomplishment as an MBA student has been taking the leap and starting the program. I think it’s easy to get overwhelmed when thinking about pursuing an MBA in addition to everything you already have going on. You wonder where you’ll find the time, but I know I have what it takes to work through the challenges, especially with the support and encouragement of my family,” she says.

For financial consultant Tu-Anh Viet Nguyen, the biggest hurdle was being accepted into the program. Prior to acceptance, she was fairly content, but a question persisted in her thoughts – “What if there’s more?”

“I applied to UCR; I put all my eggs in one basket to apply to the school that I felt an instant connection with.” She had many sleepless nights worrying if her decision to only apply to one school was too risky, yet in the end, fortune favored her. “Countless times I checked the student portal to see if there was any change to my application status. And I received the offer! Just being here is already a massive first step for me,” she says.

Alumni and professors give advice to incoming students during orientation

A Class Profile

This year, the program had a total of 331 applicants and accepted just 37 students – making for a 41% acceptance rate for this year’s Class of 2025. The GMAT scores stood at 663, with the GMAT range hitting 688. Over half of the class are international students, at 51%, and just under half the class, 49%, are women. On average, the UCR MBAs have four years of work experience entering the MBA.

Most of the class has an academic background in business – a whole 54% of them, yet some come from Engineering (14%) and Social Sciences (11%), Computer Science (3%), Humanities (3%) Economics (3%), Science (3%). The other 11% came from varying backgrounds.

Before beginning their degree at UCR, the class was intermixed in a variety of industries. The top industry was consulting, accounting for 16% of the class. The next top was Industrial with 10% of the class, then Entrepreneurship, Finance, Military, and IT – all at 6% individually, then Healthcare, Marketing and Non-Profit each with 3%. A little under a third, 32% of the class, came from industries outside of the aforementioned.

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 Anh (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: 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

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

Schedule a consultation

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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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Meet the UCR School of Business MBA Class of 2024

ilseu — Wed, 07 Dec 2022 06:45:01 +0000

Meet the UCR School of Business MBA Class of 2024 ilseu Tue, 12/06/2022 - 22:45 More News Jeff Schmitt | Poets & Quants December 02, 2022

When Wayne Gretzky was asked why he was successful, the hockey great made a timeless observation: “I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been.” By that, Gretzky meant that top performers gravitate to where the action – innovation and opportunity – will happen. In the process, they position themselves to make an impact.

You could say MBAs descend on the UC Riverside A. Gary Anderson Graduate School of Management (AGSM) for the same reason. They want to be a step ahead, anticipating how the world will pivot to their advantage. At the UCR AGSM, that translates to a cross-disciplinary, tech-laden, globally-conscious curriculum that prepares graduates for where business is heading.

The UCR Bell Tower at the center of campus where clubs gather and major events are held

A Place For Social Mobility

Here, the students’ multicultural perspectives and underdog roots serve as major advantages. In the Class of 2024, 54% of first-years are women and 54% hail from outside the United States – populations swelling in c-suites and specialized ranks alike. Beyond class composition, the UCR AGSM reflects the diverse educational and professional backgrounds of global business professionals. In this year’s class, you’ll find manufacturing managers, computer engineers, and financial analysts who’ve worked in decorated firms like Amazon, General Electric, and Allstate. In other words, AGSM MBAs are exposed to the best business ideas and practices from their classmates as much as their professors.

In business, the puck is also gliding towards equity. Across the larger university, equity is more than an aspiration. For the past four years, U.S. News has ranked UC Riverside #1 for Social Mobility – a combination of Pell Grants and graduation rates. At AGSM, social mobility enjoys a different meaning. The MBA program is a place, says first-year Nadia Witt, that welcomes “people like me” – students who don’t always fit the mainstream ideal or check all the boxes. More than that, adds classmate Yiqun Li, AGSM provides support: the kind MBAs need to anticipate where business will shift and identify how they can bring value.

“The resources for career development and the down-to-earth vibe is what led me to choose UCR’s MBA program,” Li writes. “The university has made great achievements in social mobility, which means students here are truly able to change their lives. From faculty to students, AGSM’s focus is not just on academic results; they also care about our employment opportunities. Many job fairs, employment workshops, and other events are offered, and resources, such as the Career Development Center and Handshake, are always available for students seeking opportunities.”

Students networking with employers at the School of Business career fair

Skills Employers Seek

How does the UCR AGSM stay ahead of change? For one, the school listens to employers. That starts with a STEM designation, which enables international students to work in the United States for three years after graduation without a special visa. In reality, the STEM designation is an outgrowth of the UCR AGSM’s long-time commitment to technology and innovation. Such programming is one reason why recent AGSM MBA grads have landed coveted roles in companies like Disney, Amazon, Deloitte, and Ernst & Young.

“Graduates from the STEM-focused program are in high demand for all businesses,” explains Dr. Rami Zwick, Associate Dean of Graduate Programs, In a 2021 interview with P&Q. “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.”

UCR AGSM’s advantages extend far beyond its future-focused programming. Hoping to gain work experience to ease the transition to a new industry or function? The school requires an internship through its Field in Management course. Looking for state-of-the-art facilities? This year, the AGSM is breaking ground on a spacious complex, replete with tech-infused classrooms, private study rooms, open collaboration space, and exterior terraces to enjoy the California sun. Seeking a strong network that’ll open doors? UCR boasts the largest undergraduate business program in the state with 20,000 UCR AGSM alumni alone (not counting 136,000 total university alumni). Through its Executive Mentor Program, the school can also pair MBAs with industry leaders and practitioners – giving them insider access to trade secrets and networks that ultimately produce advancement opportunities. Of course, UCR AGSM is situated just an hour away from Los Angeles, with its deep foothold in the entertainment, technology, supply chain, and aeronautics industries.

Women in Business leaders with UCR Business Executive Fellow Anita Alamshaw ’91, executive director and general manager of U.S. Value and Access at Amgen

A Supportive Culture … And Beaches!

Such offerings open up possibilities. In the end, the AGSM MBA isn’t just about snagging the puck to gain validation, renown, and security. In the brave new world, future success is predicated on balance and community as much as skill and insight. For the Class of 2024, there is no better place to recharge than hanging out at the beach. Joanna Alice Sippetts, looks forward to taking car rides to the shores so she can catch up with classmates and find new food venues. The best beach? Yiqun Li points to Huntington Beach – the famed “Surf City” whose breezes and boards have inspired many Beach Boys refrains on fun and freedom.

“As one of our MBA professors said, pursuing an MBA is about business and that mindset, but it is also about enjoying life,” Li explains. “AGSM held a series of amazing orientations, welcome events, and a bonfire party at Huntington Beach, which certainly taught us how to enjoy life while studying. After that, we have hung out a lot at this beautiful beach. Walking around the beach, listening to the sound of waves, and feeling the power of nature really gives us inspiration. It’s also a good place to release pressure after a week of classes and assignments.”

The AGSM has all the ingredients: Innovative programming, surging momentum, and a job-rich location with sunny weather and every imaginable recreation within driving distance. Add to that a supportive environment. The MBA program is small and intimate; the Class of 2024 alone is just 68 students. That makes MBAs a center of attention, with the student-to-faculty ratio of 4:1. In other words, MBAs get time and resources in a “high-touch” environment where every class member brings unique value and no student is ever left behind. At the AGSM, MBAs are stretched and encouraged, and faculty and students alike act as safety nets. This is what Stephanie Jimenez experienced at UCR as an undergrad majoring in finance. Now – paying the ultimate compliment to her alma mater – she has returned to prepare her for the next step in her career.

“I was exposed to and made aware of all the amazing resources and opportunities the school offers along with the welcoming, supportive environment,” Jimenez tells P&Q. “I knew I wanted to have resources, such as the Career Development Center for résumé and cover letter reviews and mock interviews to ensure I am prepared for my job search. The support I have received from the faculty has always been phenomenal, especially during the application process. Everyone I reached out to was always so welcoming and encouraged me to ask all the questions I had.”

A School of Business Happy Hour on The Barn’s outside patio

From Wimbledon To Amazon

Who makes up the AGSM Class of 2024? Start with Pujith Sai Kumar Reddy Nooka, who speaks six languages (and is currently mastering a seventh – Japanese). He previously worked in Amazon’s Development Center, where he tested Alexa and Fire software and devices. He chose UCR AGSM over eight other programs, earning a scholarship and teaching assistant position along the way. Ironically, he found the path to graduate school far easier than the one he took as an undergrad.

“I had to transfer universities for my engineering studies due to my budget constraints. Because of syllabus mismatch, I had to retake 35 subjects from the previous years and cleared them all. Earning, my undergraduate degree has been the greatest huddle I’ve cleared so far.”

As an undergrad, Nadia Witt played softball – a sport that has enabled her to compete in 21 countries. Her classmate, Joanna Alice Sippetts, has also been involved in sports. This year, she worked Wimbledon for the Lawn Tennis Association after previously handling player and staff accreditation at the Nottingham Open. Sometimes, you won’t find the best competitors on the field. Case in point: Stephanie Jimenez. She ranked as Charles Schwab’s top performer in her department.

“I challenged myself to meet each metric on a daily basis so that I would be on track to meet all quarterly goals,” Jimenez explains. “Taking on this challenge and meeting it was important to me because I wanted to stand out and make myself known, especially since I was working in such a large company. I wanted to make sure that I was considered for any position openings that would allow me to learn more about the firm and/or move up within the company.”

During Welcome Week, Student Association organizes a hike to nearby Mt. Rubidoux, where they can experience a beautiful view of Riverside city.

Quants With A Poetic Side

Before business school, Snigdha Ojha worked in television and fashion. In her most recent role, Ojha served as a senior marketing analyst at SHEIN, a women’s clothing online retailer. Here, Ojha developed a love for storytelling, particularly the role of characters – consumers – in driving the brand narrative.

“My work included research and consumer insights for the India market. One of the most interesting things within my job was to see how the brand grew in two years in India and internationally. Interacting with consumers, understanding their needs from the brand, and then developing solutions incorporating these needs and demands was one of my most interesting experiences. The immense love from customers for the brand gave me a chance to understand the consumer’s voice using traditional research methods as well as the thriving social media channels. I had the opportunity to understand fashion trends, how e-commerce functions, and how all the likes and reactions are interpreted to develop strategy for brand growth.”

Yiqun Li also possesses a poetic side. A voice actor, Li has dubbed his character interpretations to over 1,000 clips on his channel. Like Snigdha Ojha, he also brings a serious quant side to the UCR AGSM. In China, he was promoted to being the vice president of a private equity firm that invests in movies. In this role, he developed a model that crunched various indicators and market statistics that enabled him to project which releases would turn into blockbusters.

“The company and the funds I managed had successfully invested in every year’s top-three movies in China over four consecutive years and grossed more than 30 billion RMB ($5 billion) at the box office. I managed two private equity companies within the group and oversaw more than 100 funds and more than 14 billion RMB ($2 billion) in assets. I also invested and incubated the largest filming equipment rental company in China, which is also the largest in Asia, with a total of more than 1 billion RMB ($138 million) in equipment assets, such as cameras, lenses, cranes, trollies, etc.”

Our scenic Botanic Gardens – a great place for study, meditation, or a light hike

Flexing Their Entrepreneurial Muscles

As an MBA, Li is now flexing his entrepreneurial muscles. During his Information Systems course, he devised a business plan for a new product. He describes it as a “rental service for high-end technological products—such as computers, drones, and entertainment equipment—exclusively to college students at a competitively low price.” The kicker: students could either return the item after the rental period expired or purchase it at a “fair price.”

“Leading a group of my excellent classmates to work on the business plan and achieve our goal was a great experience because we are future managers and CEOs,” Li says.

Outside work and school, Evelyn Lazo is a rock climber, even reaching the 1,500-foot summit of Angel’s Landing in Utah’s Zion National Park. At AGSM, Lazo notched a different achievement. She was named the school’s vice chief ambassador, where she helps her classmates better “showcase” themselves on LinkedIn. In contrast, Grant Rueca has been busy plying his marketing skills, both in working as a marketing assistant for the university and promoting his student organizations. Like Yiqun Li, Pujith Sai Kumar Reddy Nooka has turned a project in his Information Systems course into something much bigger.

“I secured an internship in my first quarter as a startup business consultant working on a fintech project at the National Science Foundation, which is funded by the federal government and under the guidance of Dr. Jay Gilberg. Here, I am mentored by one of the best entrepreneurs, Gioia Messinger. I am also working on campus currently in Information Technology Solutions as a multimedia operator.”

Watch Ashley Sanchez’s Slice of Life video for a sneak peek into her internship at The Walt Disney Company, which led to a full-time job offer. (Video)

‘Everyone Would Make A Fine Military Officer’

Sean Payan was selected by the U.S. Army to pursue his MBA full-time at UCR – all while fulfilling his military obligations and training. Looking at the Class of 2024, the words “intelligent” and “diverse” come to mind for Payan. In the process, he pays his classmates the ultimate compliment.

“The U.S. military is quite the melting pot of personnel; however, AGSM offers even more diversity and inclusiveness due to the international student population. The camaraderie among alumni and current students is remarkable as everyone is collaborative and eager to learn from one another. Every person I have met would make a fine military officer; they are extremely disciplined and durable with exemplary character.”

Payan may also be among the students that Grant Rueca was thinking about when he described his classmates as “inspirational.” By that, he means they possess the grit to fulfill their promise. “Many students I’ve met within the UCR MBA program are pursuing their dreams with baggage: They have families, outside commitments, full-time jobs, and much more that add to the load as they earn an MBA degree. Yet, even if these things get in the way, they continue to pursue their dreams. UCR MBA students are strong-willed and take on this challenge to benefit their careers … they are my role models.”

UCR School of Business student leaders help shape the community and environment of our school.

Class Hangouts

In their downtime, you’ll find the Class of 2024 at many of Riverside’s hotspots: The Getaway Café, The Barn, and Duke’s Bar and Grill. The Barn, in particular, is a place where MBAs and staff can kick back and get to know each other, says Snigdha Ojha.

“This is also a good way to learn the formal culture in an informal setting,” Ojha adds. “Tuesday has become my new Friday, as I can take a break at the start of the week by just sitting and chatting with everyone. A fun fact about the Bar: The beverages offered are brewed at UCR. Sometimes, there are also concerts or performances with affordable ticket prices for students, which also gives me a glimpse of the L.A. lifestyle I had heard about. And that’s all on campus.”

Off campus, the class often descends upon downtown Riverside and the Riverside Food Lab, a food hall featuring over a dozen spots for cuisine ranging from Creole specialties to Lebanese recipes. “It’s such a fun atmosphere, and there are so many great cuisines to try—there’s something for everyone,” observes Harman Dhillon, who is using her MBA to transition from hospitality to international project management. “More importantly, this time away from campus helps form closer friendships and learn more about each other as individuals.”

Student ambassadors making important connections with regional business leaders at our annual Economic Forecasting Conference.

Class Goals

What does the Class of 2024 discuss at places like Mixies Ice Cream and Cookies or Mi Cafecito Coffee? Like all MBAs, the future is bound to come up. Looking ahead, Grant Rueca aspires to work in a Fortune 500 company as a marketer, with the long-term goal of creating a family-like atmosphere.

“As the oldest son in my family, I have the role as leader for my 10 siblings. This means during difficult times it was often up to me to step up and lead my family to success. Therefore, when I think of being a leader and manager, I think of developing my team as a family and creating great results with that family. I’ve always aspired to be a leader and manager at work, and earning an MBA will get me much closer to that goal.”

Evelyn Lazo isn’t taking anything for granted. Remembering the hurdles and delays she faced in getting into business school, Lazo pays it forward by devoting her time to volunteering in her community. For her, a career is less about a role, but more about finding a community that shares her values and provides a platform to make a difference.

“My definition of success is not only achieving a personal or professional goal, but it is being happy with oneself and one’s unique accomplishments. After graduation, I hope to pursue a career in project management with a company that values its employees and empowers them to be better than they were yesterday. This happens when a person follows his or her own dreams without allowing society’s paradigms to influence how one should act, achieve, or exist.”

Student ambassadors hanging in the hallways of Anderson Hall after a speaker event

A Class Profile

By the numbers, the Class of 2024 represents improvements across the board from the previous year. The class size rose from 56 to 68 students, as did average GMAT score (632 to 646). By the same token, UCR AGSM achieved gender parity, with the percentage of women climbing from 45% to 54%. The majority of the class – 54% — are international students who hail from 9 countries. Overall, GMAT scores ranged from 600-710 in the 85% percentile, while Verbal and Quant GRE scores averaged 152 and 162 respectively.

Academically, 41% of the class majored in Business and Commerce as undergrads. 18% of the class hold degrees in Humanities-related fields, while 16% studied Engineering. The remainder of the class earned degrees in the Social Sciences, Computer Science, Economics, and Hard Sciences.

In terms of professional experience, the largest segment of the class – 19% – last worked in Financial and Insurance Services. 13% held sales-related positions, with eCommerce and Retail (10%) and High Tech (8%) professionals representing sizable shares. The remainder of class also boasts experience in consulting, consumer goods. Education, healthcare, hospitality and tourism, human resources, law, manufacturing, media and entertainment, real estate, and the military.

The newly refurbished campus bar, music venue, and restaurant, ‘The Barn’.

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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

Read the full story on Poets & Quants:

POETS & QUANTS ARTICLE

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Top banner image:

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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Meet the UCR School of Business MBA Class of 2023

ilseu — Thu, 17 Mar 2022 16:44:19 +0000

Meet the UCR School of Business MBA Class of 2023 ilseu Thu, 03/17/2022 - 09:44 More News Jeff Schmitt | Poets & Quants March 13, 2022

This article was recently published on Poets & Quants, a premium online resource for prospective graduate business students worldwide. Also read the second part of the article "Poets & Quants: a Q&A with Dean Wang and Assoc. Dean Zwick."

They’ve closed million dollar deals. Started companies. Spearheaded multi-national projects. They are high potentials with successful track records. As they return to campus, many experience a sense of déjà vu — the same uncertainty they felt as college freshmen or corporate newbies. Streaming into their MBA orientation, they ask themselves the same questions:

Can I do this?

Will I matter?

The answers are a definitive “Yes” at the UC Riverside A. Gary Anderson Graduate School of Management (AGSM). Here, MBA students are quickly swept up with new people, new ideas, and new opportunities. It is a program that mirrors the larger Riverside institution: a program designed for first generation, international, and minority students. The AGSM differentiator: intensive personal attention to each student’s needs and goals. An hour outside Los Angeles, the school taps into the region’s diverse business ecosystem, with recent grads landing jobs in companies as diverse as Google, Tesla, Amazon, Disney, JPMorgan Chase, Hulu, and PepsiCo. For alumni, an AGSM MBA has been their ticket to the next level: authority, prestige, and security. Along the way, they enjoyed Riverside’s sunny and breezy climate (with a whole ocean just a modest drive away).

A PERSON, NOT A NUMBER

The AGSM MBA program also consists of a carefully-constructed community, one that values a variety of educational backgrounds, cultural traditions, and professional experiences. That means admissions looks far beyond the usual measures. Jordan Greene learned that first-hand before joining the MBA Class of 2023. An inside sales representative who’d studied Environmental Business as an undergrad, Greene wanted to be more than “just another test score.” Instead, she insisted on a learning community that made her “feel seen and valued.” That’s exactly what she found at AGSM.

“UCR looked at me as a whole person,” she tells Poets&Quants. “I have dyslexia and auditory processing learning disabilities. On paper, sometimes schools and companies don’t see me as intelligent because they don’t know the whole me. I am smart, but I show it in my own way, and UCR sees how capable I am.”

A sense of family: That’s what the Class of 2023 has found since they kicked off Welcome Week with a sunset hike up Mount Rubidoux and a tour of Knott’s Berry Farm. For Camila Chaves, an entrepreneur from Colombia, the program’s diversity has been AGSM’s most striking feature. It is these differences that have brought her classmates closer to each other.

“Most of my close friends at UCR are from cultures other than my own,” she writes, “which has expanded my world view and gives me the added benefit of having friends to show me around amazing places. All the students I have met are also very supportive, and we try to help each other as much as we can. It really feels like a community. I am making great connections during my time here. In my Organizational Behavior course, we studied in a group during the entire quarter. Having worked on so many projects together, we built strong connections. One of my friends from the team encouraged us to apply for teaching assistant positions. Thanks to his advice, I am now a teaching assistant.”

Ye Li, who was named a Poets&Quants 40 Under 40 Professor in 2020

PULLING EACH OTHER UP

Families are often associated with homes — and “home” is the word that Stephanie Moya associates with AGSM. A tutor by trade, Moya has found that the Class of 2023 provides a “sense of belonging in a safe and welcoming environment.” To David Cooper, a UCLA-trained tax accountant and consultant, his classmates also bring a sense of drive. That has inspired him to elevate his performance to match theirs.

“They have energized me to do more and be better,” Cooper explains. “When I hear my classmates’ stories about coming from foreign countries or what they had to do to make it here, it helps me realize the importance and value of where I am and the opportunity that I have. It provides me with a stronger sense of purpose during times that I’m juggling a lot or feeling stressed.”

It is during those stressful times, adds Jashan Meet, when the Anderson community pulls together to provide a safety net. “The students and alumni I have met have been kind to me and very welcoming,” observes Meet, who managed a Google-run literacy project in his native India. “When [I was] considering whether to pursue a concentration in information systems, I contacted our student association president for support. In less than an hour, he connected me to six members, all of whom were responsive and helpful. They shared course materials and curriculum, referred me to additional learning opportunities, and made recommendations for internships. After this, I felt assured in my choice and more comfortable with the supportive UCR culture at AGSM.”

PURSUING THEIR DREAMS

Careers are extensions of passions. You learn much about a class by what they hope to achieve someday. Stephanie Moya, for one, hopes to become a program manager at Google or Meta after earning her MBA. A first generation college student, Moya is accustomed to beating the odds. To her, these companies represent a platform where she can harness her leadership abilities into making a deeper impact.

“I want to gain a deeper understanding of the market, competition, and user requirements. I also want to help launch new products and features while testing their performance. I like being part of a team and working collaboratively to create the best products.”

You could describe Franchesca Jefferson a Renaissance woman. A Human Biology major with a black belt in tae kwon do, Jefferson veered into social media. In her spare time, she became a filmmaker. With an MBA from AGSM, she plans to carve out a career where she can unleash her artistic passions while enjoying financial stability.

“I’m passionate about filmmaking and marketing because both fields allow me a creative outlet in the way that I plan, produce, and present promotional materials,” Jefferson explains. “The artistic freedom and conveyance of messages that capture the essence of people, stories, and brands are what drives me. After graduation, I hope to work in the entertainment industry as a talent or casting agent, or in talent acquisition. I’m excited about the perpetual change in the entertainment industry, and it encompasses many forms of media that require innovative marketing methods.”

The bell tower and sign under blue skies on Thursday, March 19, 2020 at UC Riverside. (UCR/Stan Lim)

AN INTEREST IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Some students are pursuing an MBA to achieve aims bigger than themselves. Case in point: David Cooper. His interests, he says, lie in “health and wellness, food, nutrition.” After graduation, he intends to connect these interests with the business tools he gains at AGSM to support populations that lack access to healthcare that many take for granted.

“I would love to develop the ability to put marginalized people and people of color in positions of influence and power around the world,” Cooper writes. “I would also like to see a dramatic increase in the importance of health and wellness in the U.S. within communities of color. I have seen marginalized communities suffer from health issues, such as diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. These can be attributed to many factors, but can be traced back to these marginalized communities that do not have the appropriate resources…After graduation, I hope to go into business consulting, preferably for companies aligned with my personal interests, and eventually build a strong business of my own.”

Chances are, Cooper has met with Camila Chaves on how to do just that. With COVID producing a surplus of time, she helped launch homekreate.com, turning her love of digital marketing into an online marketplace. “Along with my team, we contacted small entrepreneurs in Colombia and helped them expand their online presence via our website. We used the dashboard I built, which includes sales, Google Analytics information, Google ads, supply chain, and other areas; I gather information in Excel, take it to SQL, and study it with Tableau and Power Bi. Therefore, our marketing campaigns and the budget have been better allocated.”

GIVING BACK TO WHERE YOU CAME FROM

The Class of 2023 also hails from 12 countries,. Living in Taiwan, Ruby Young majored in Social Work before entering the logistics field working in finance. In contrast, Leonardo Targia moved from Milan to California to earn his undergraduate degree at UC-Riverside. And he loved his time at UC Riverside so much that he returned to AGSM after working as an analyst at one of Italy’s top investment banks. By the same token, Sweta Mulji grew up in Tanzania before earning a degree at UC’s San Marcos campus and carving out a career in technology — an area where Chang Deng worked as a project manager for HUAWEI.

“I spearheaded a core project for NFV Volte and 5G, and completed it in a short period of time, exceeding quality parameters, which resulted in exceptionally high client ratings by the Unicom group,” Deng tells P&Q. “Consequently, I received the Excellent New Staff of Global Technical Service Award.”

Jashan Meet found his calling in social activism. Growing up in rural India, Meet experienced how underprivileged communities endured a shortage of educational opportunities and supplies. In response, he joined the non-profit sector to boost financial and digital literacy where it was needed most.

“In 2017, I started free coaching for high school students, and I joined the NAANDI Foundation and Sshrishti India Trust in project coordinator positions,” Meet says. “I also started my own organization in the education sector, and our team created engaging, inclusive, and individualized learning experiences for more than 300 high school students. We provided basic supplies to students, including books, school bags, shoes, socks, sanitary pads, and other items.”

Portrait of Elaine Wong, Associate Professor of Management, School of Business. (UCR/Stan Lim)

MOMENTUM ON CAMPUS

Sure enough, the Class of 2023 has built on these achievements since they started class. Camila Chaves has continued to deepen her analytics skills in the most unexpected place: the student volleyball team. “Sports have always been part of my life, and I was on the women’s soccer team during my undergraduate years at Harris-Stowe,” she explains. “Data analysis for volleyball is a great opportunity for me to combine my new passion for data with a life-long love for sports. I analyze game and practice information in Data Volley 4 to understand trends and advise actions, helping improve decision-making, players’ performance, and team cohesion.”

Franchesca Jefferson has been channeling her energies into the Graduate Student Ambassadors program, where she heads up its marketing committee. “I help current and prospective graduate business students excel during their time at UCR. I lead the ambassador’s marketing committee, providing outreach and resources that help students navigate the bridges between the personal, academic, and professional worlds.”

Alas, some achievements can be bulleted or quantified. Certainly, that’s true for Spriha Kumari, a dancer, painter, and workout junkie from India. For her, the MBA has been an exercise in building confidence. “I now know how to represent and distinguish myself from the crowd and have become good at what I do. I have excelled in my courses while working a dining shift, participating in programs and dance clubs, and staying healthy. I’ve also been offered a teaching assistant position.”

Aerial shot of the campus of UCR during sunset on February 3, 2020. (UCR/Taylor Ruthford)

EXPANSIVE AND INTIMATE AT THE SAME TIME

The 56-member class is diverse to say the least. International and female students account for 48% and 45% of the class respectively. Among Americans, 55% of the class identify as part of an underrepresented racial or ethnic group. As a whole, the school accepted 60% of applicants, with the class possessing 31 months of professional experience before enrolling.

Academically, the class averaged a 3.59 undergraduate GPA, which was reinforced by a 632 average GMAT and a 317 average GRE. Business and Commerce majors comprise 45% of the class. The remainder of the class includes students who hold degrees in Social Sciences, Engineering, Economics, Computer Science, Humanities, Science, and Law.

The AGSM MBA program may be small and intimate, but it also draws resources from one of California’s largest and most prestigious public institutions. As a whole, UC-Riverside is home to over 26,000 students and 1,100 faculty members — including two Nobel Laureates. Even more, MBAs can join any of the program’s 400 student organizations. Over the years, UCR has racked up plenty of recognition, such as being honored as a Best Value College by The Princeton Review and among the best universities for financial aid by Business Insider. In 2021, U.S. News & World Report again ranked UCR as America’s top university for social mobility — an honor recognizing schools that raise the standard of living for low income graduates.

AGSM itself has been spotlighted by outlets like U.S. News and University HQ for excellence in areas like undergraduate teaching and marketing and finance programming. AGSM also ranks as the largest business school in the UC system. This enables MBAs to draw from a wide range of expertise and opportunities on campus and network with 20,000 alumni worldwide. AGSM’s reputation has also sparked a surge in enrollment. To accommodate this growth, the school is building a new business complex that’s slated to break ground later this year. Spacious and state-of-the-art, the facility will bring the entire faculty and undergraduate and graduate student bodies under one roof — creating new opportunities to connect and collaborate along the way.

Faculty and classmates aren’t the only support networks at AGSM. The school also maintains an Executive Mentor Network, which pairs MBAs with executives who operate in their chosen industry or function. Not only do students gain access to successful practitioners, but exposure to insider knowledge or opportunities that aren’t found in textbooks or job boards. In addition, AGSM holds global immersions. Last year, for example, students can spend a week learning about public policy in Washington, DC. Another trek focused on entrepreneurship is slated for later this March at the renowned University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.

5 REASONS TO CONSIDER THE AGSM MBA

1) Career Opportunities: “During the admissions process, I had many questions, and the admissions team answered all of them. The people were the key to choosing UC Riverside. Location and connection with major companies was also important to me: I will soon begin an internship as part of the business intelligence team at Fox News, Fox Business, and Fox Weather. I was living in San Diego when I decided to get my MBA, and I found Riverside to be an ideal location. Being close to Los Angeles, Orange County, and San Diego is perfect for me because there are major companies across Southern California.”
Camila Chaves (’23)

2) STEM-Designated MBA: “UCR offers a STEM-designated MBA, which is the main factor for choosing this business school. It is important for me to maintain and strengthen quantitative and technical skills while pursuing my MBA as my background is in computer science. The STEM designation also provides the added benefit for international students to stay in the U.S. to work for up to three years on optional practical training. Apart from this, the responsive and helpful nature of the alumni and the professors I interacted with when I was applying for admission also convinced me to select UCR.”
Spriha Kumari (’23)

3) Networking: “A beneficial aspect of UC Riverside’s MBA programming is the opportunity to network with professionals from all over the world. This is important because I learn about different jobs and industries. By networking with professionals from varying fields, I expand my perspective and understanding of the economy and job market. As a graduate student exploring job opportunities, I appreciate the chance to learn from successful professionals with several years of experience. Because UCR stresses the importance of diversity, in the last quarter I met students from India, China, Bangladesh, Brazil, and Taiwan, and I’ve built meaningful relationships and learned about how different economies impact the world.”
Leonardo Targia (’23)

4) Diversity: “What really drove me to attend UCR’s MBA program was the diversity within the program. Not just the diversity in the coursework and instruction, but the people and their diverse life stories, backgrounds, and knowledge. This is important to me because early in my undergraduate career I struggled with the lack of diversity around me. I know that kind of environment is not in direct alignment with who I am and how I want to live my life.”
David Cooper (’23)

5) Wide Selection of Clubs: “UCR has so many opportunities to stay healthy and be part of building something new. I really enjoy UCR’s Tennis Club and the Dance Club. I am a professional dancer (classical Indian dancer and Zumba instructor). Dancing and playing sports provide me with lasting energy and are healthy outlets. I’m also involved with two new student-led clubs at the School of Business: the Programming Club and the AGSM Women in Business Club. The Programming Club caters to students like me interested in keeping up with the latest technologies. We meet each week to learn SQL and Python programming languages. The club is supported by our information systems professor, Rich Yueh, and includes members who tutor club members in these programs. The AGSM Women in Business Club is also an exciting new opportunity. The group plans to provide role models and facilitate connections with women leaders in the surrounding community.”
Spriha Kumari (’23)

UCR AGSM Student Association member helping new student at orientation

ADVICE TO PROSPECTIVE AGSM APPLICANTS

“Never take the power of education for granted. Start your MBA application as early as possible so you have enough time to prepare throughout the entire application process. I started my application eight months prior to the deadline. A lot of research went into picking the right university, and it came down to finances, scholarships, available resources, and the best education. By starting early in the process, you will give yourself time to make the right decision.”
Sweta Mulji (’23)

“I would advise anyone looking to gain admission into UCR’s MBA program to get outside of their comfort zone. Try new things: a job that wasn’t initially interesting, a new class, volunteering somewhere, or just pushing one’s self to grow. The more you know, the better you are. Comfort is one of the biggest obstacles in the way of a person’s success. So, get comfortable with being uncomfortable!”
David Cooper (’23)

“For international students, UCR offers the STEM program, which is a valuable opportunity to gain work experience in the United States following graduation, and it’s important that applicants understand that program. And, during your admissions interview with UCR, just be confident and be yourself.”
Ruby Young (’23)

Please click on a student's name to view the individual student's profile:

MBA Student	Hometown	Undergraduate Alma Mater	Last Employer
Camila Chaves	Medellín, Colombia	Harris-Stowe State University	University of California-Riverside Volleyball Team
David Cooper	Ladera Heights, CA	UCLA	AT Cooper Enterprises
Chang Deng	Ningbo, China	University of Science and Technology of China	HUAWEI
Jordan Greene	San Mateo, CA	University of Redlands	Esri
Spriha Kumari	Ranchi, India	Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology	HPE Aruba
Jashan Meet	Firozpur, India	Dr. B.R. Ambedkar National Institute of Technology, Jalandhar	Sshrishti Organization
Stephanie Moya	Corona, CA	University of California, Riverside	Self-Employed Tutor
Sweta Mulji	Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania	California State University, San Marcos	Synergy Zone
Leonardo Targia	Milan, Italy	University of California, Riverside	Mediobanca Private Banking
Ruby Young	Taipei, Taiwan	National Taipei University	Korchina Logistics Group
Franchesca Jefferson	Corona, CA	University of California, San Diego	Troy J. Andreasen, M.D.

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Poets & Quants

A Q&A with UCR AGSM Leadership

Meet the UC Riverside School of Business MBA Class of 2026

An Interview with the UCR Business Leadership Team

Poets&Quants: Give us your one-minute pitch for your business school. What makes your program unique?

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?

Sustainability has emerged as a major attraction to prospective MBA students. How does your full-time MBA program integrate sustainability across its curriculum?

How does your school incorporate technology into the curriculum and how has it engaged students and faculty on the use or incorporation of such new, emerging technologies?

What are some key elements in your teaching of leadership? What types of options does your school offer that deepens student experience with leadership and makes them more competitive in the marketplace?

What is your biggest student-run event of the year and what does it reflect about your school?

What are your two most popular traditions at the school? How do these reflect the spirit and mission of the institution?

Meet the UCR School of Business MBA Class of 2026

WHY NOW AND WHY RIVERSIDE?

WHAT STANDS OUT AT RIVERSIDE?

FAVORITE CLUBS AND ACTIVITIES

KEY TAKEAWAYS THUS FAR

LESSONS TO PASS ON TO FUTURE MBAs

Meet the UCR School of Business MBA Class of 2025

Charting a Course for an MBA at Riverside

A New Voyage through UCR

A Sense of Tranquility from the get-go

A Selfless and Ambitious Community

What they Learn and a Course they Love

Entrepreneurs on all Horizons

Ambassadors at Work

Taking the Leap to Begin

A Class Profile

Meet the UC Riverside MBA Class of 2025 featured candidates:

Are you ready to set your future in motion?

Poets & Quants: UCR Business Leadership Interview

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.

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

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

Meet the UC Riverside MBA Class of 2025 featured candidates:

Are you ready to set your future in motion?

Poets & Quants Interview: UCR Business Leadership

Meet the UC Riverside School of Business MBA Class of 2024

An Interview with the UCR Business Leadership Team

Meet the UCR School of Business MBA Class of 2024

A Place For Social Mobility

Skills Employers Seek

A Supportive Culture … And Beaches!

From Wimbledon To Amazon

Quants With A Poetic Side

Flexing Their Entrepreneurial Muscles

‘Everyone Would Make A Fine Military Officer’

Class Hangouts

Class Goals

A Class Profile

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

Q&A WITH AGSM DEAN AND ASSOCIATE DEAN

Meet the UCR School of Business MBA Class of 2023

A PERSON, NOT A NUMBER

PULLING EACH OTHER UP

PURSUING THEIR DREAMS

AN INTEREST IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP

GIVING BACK TO WHERE YOU CAME FROM

MOMENTUM ON CAMPUS

EXPANSIVE AND INTIMATE AT THE SAME TIME

5 REASONS TO CONSIDER THE AGSM MBA

ADVICE TO PROSPECTIVE AGSM APPLICANTS

MBA Student

Hometown

Undergraduate Alma Mater

Last Employer