McDonough MBA Consulting Club Members Collaborate with Undergrads
Georgetown McDonough MBAs are paying it forward to the undergraduate peers. According to a press release, the McDonough MBA Consulting Club conducted a series of mock case interviews with the undergraduate Management Consulting Society to better prepare the undergrads for upcoming job interviews. Continue reading…
What Georgetown McDonough MBA Students Learn Outside the Classroom
What do Colin Powell, an Indiana dairy farm, the DC Department of Public Works, and a triathalon have in common? They are all part of the fabric that comprises life outside of the classroom for MBA students at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business. Sure, it makes sense to judge a business school on what takes place inside the classroom. But in skimming three seemingly unrelated recent news briefs from the school, we realized that taken together they help paint a picture of what life outside the classroom can look like.
Former Secretary of State Colin Powell Speaks
In September, the former U.S. Secretary of State and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Colin Powell visited Georgetown McDonough to speak on the subject of leadership. He discussed his former military and government experience, as well as a turning point in his career: earning his MBA. The event was part of the Stanton Distinguished Leaders Series and was hosted by the McDonough Military Association, an MBA student club for military veterans.
Faculty, staff, alumni, and students were all invited to observe the conversation, which began with Powell touching on his MBA education. He shared with attendees about how his MBA—which he earned from George Washington University in 1971—enabled him to focus “on the more human elements of leadership,” explained the McDonough press release. He also talked about how he improved his management and leadership skills by gaining a better understanding of basic human psychology.
Powell then went on to speak about his career. He shared his experience of being pulled in a variety of different directions, including public service positions, telling audience members: “You serve where you are needed. This is what service is all about.”
Then, he went on to highlight what he views as essential components of effective leadership, namely helping others, stressing the human element of an organization, and building trust. He explained that he never tried to be an authority but to influence others, stating “leadership and followership are completely enmeshed.”
Finally, he touched on the importance of diversity. “We are a vibrant economy because of immigration,” he said. “We shouldn’t demonize anyone.” He talked about how diversity is important for leadership and for building a stronger America. The event ended with questions from audience members and drew praise from many in attendance.
As Prashant Malaviya, an Associate Professor of Marketing at McDonough, said on Twitter: “Honor and privilege to welcome Colin Powel to Georgetown McDonough. Amazing talk! Thank you!”
Hands-On Experience
Outside of learning from presentations and speakers, MBA students at McDonough also learn through hands-on opportunities such as a recent visit to Fair Oaks Farms, a sustainable dairy farm in Indiana, as well as a summer internship with the DC Department of Public Works (DPW).
The farm visit, which included 18 MBA students, was part of the course “Principled Leadership in Business and Society” taught by Associate Professor Ed Soule.
The trip was designed to help students learn more about sustainable business by seeing it in practice. Fair Oaks Farm is the sixth largest dairy cooperative in the nation and an agri-tourism destination owned by Sue and Mike McCloskey. While visiting, MBA students were able to see how the farm employed various practices and technologies to minimize its environmental footprint while maximizing the comfort level of the cows.
“It’s one thing to read a case about a sustainable business, but seeing it and meeting the people adds another dimension,” Soule said in a news release about the trip. “The other objective of the trip was for them to interface casually with the McCloskeys, to pose questions, and get a more nuanced understanding of the business.”
Second-year MBA student Emma Loughman called the farm an “epicenter of innovation” and said she enjoyed learning about the difference between organic and sustainable farming.
As for the internship with the DC DPW, two students—Paul LaCorte (MBA ’18) and Leo Dzidziguri (MBA ’18)—participated in the trial program between the department and Georgetown McDonough. Over the course of the hands-on, three-month experience, the students responded to a request by the city administrator to evaluate two critical areas: light vehicle repair turnaround and citywide compliance and preventative maintenance.
The internship required data collection, analysis, visualization, process mapping, site visits, and audits. “We were involved in projects that required knowledge from multiple fields,” Dzidziguri said in a news release. “For example, I performed statistical analysis on several years of data to identify reasons why the Fleet Management division could not meet its key performance indicators, while at the same time studying the operations and recommending a new map for more efficient processes.”
Extracurricular Fun and Fitness
Finally, no MBA program is complete without a bit of friendly competition. Early in September, three Georgetown MBA students participated in the 12th Annual Nation’s Triathlon. Hall Wang (MBA ’19), Taylor DeVoe (Evening MBA ’20), and James Hesburgh (MBA ’19) signed up for a 1,500-meter swim, 26.2-mile bike ride, and 10k run relay—respectively. This was an opportunity for the MBA students to meet outside the classroom and campus to explore their common interests.
In a short news brief on the school website, Wang described the triathlon as a relationship-building experience. “I like to think we showed what the Georgetown MBA experience is all about,” he said. “Regardless of cohort or program, we build relationships and partake in our community, one fun adventure at a time. Ours just started with a really early alarm clock and ended with some sore body parts, but now we have an exciting story to tell.”
This article has been edited and republished with permissions from Clear Admit.
Georgetown McDonough Student Government Association Launches Research Bites Series
For those wondering why speaking events don’t serve more food, you aren’t alone. At least, it seems the McDonough School of Business Student Government Association (SGA) picked up the idea, launching the Research Bites “lunch-and-learn” series late last month.
The series, running until November 20, and highlights faculty research over five unique events. During each Research Bites session, a different faculty member will give a one-hour presentation about their life in academia and how their research impacts business. Gabe Nelson, MBA ’18, Vice President of curriculum for the SGA, wanted to recruit faculty members who were familiar to the student body. He reached out to professors who taught core classes and had interesting research experiences to drum up interest. Nelson says he hopes the series will “give students valuable insights that can help their careers in tangible ways” and “build faculty-student relationships.”
The first Research Bite took place on September 18 and featured Associate Professor of Strategy Chris Rider. He expanded on the effectiveness of the NFL’s Rooney Rule, which is the league policy that requires all teams to interview minority candidates for head coaching positions. According to the press release, about 50 students attended the first event.
Other faculty members set to participate in the series include:
- Debora Thompson, Associate Professor of Marketing
- Paul Almeida, Dean and William R. Berkley Chair
- Jason Schloetzer, Associate Professor of Accounting
- Allison Koester, Assistant Professor of Accounting
According to McDonough, the MBA SGA serves the student body of Georgetown’s MBA program and is the primary interface between the student body and the faculty and administration. The SGA plans social events and boosts alumni relations, such as Thursday kegs, outings to local sporting events, and fall and spring formals. The SGA is also responsible for major student organization decisions, management of finances, and implementation of new and existing policies or initiatives. You can learn more about the McDonough MBA Student Government Association here.
Georgetown McDonough EMBA Alumni Shares His Entrepreneurial Experience at Patri
The Georgetown McDonough School of Business recently interviewed Josh Ellars, a former Executive MBA student and current entrepreneur. Ellars founded Patri, a software and consulting firm that provides solutions to help companies maximize revenue from the global public sector technology market. The company helps accelerate profitability through technology that streamlines the bid opportunity qualification process and through custom consulting engagements that simplify public sector market entry and promote sustained growth. Continue reading…
McDonough Dean Paul Almeida Delivers State of the School Address
Paul Almeida addressed faculty and staff at the annual State of the School event earlier this month. The newest dean of the McDonough School of Business discussed his vision for the school, as well as the future of business education, and commitment to interdisciplinary solutions. Continue reading…
McDonough Professor Named Finalist for 2017 edX Prize
Ricardo Ernst has been named as one of the 10 finalists for the 2017 edX Prize for Exceptional Contributions in Online Teaching and Learning. Ernst is the Baratta Chair in Global Business and professor of operations and global logistics at the Georgetown McDonough School of Business. Continue reading…
