The ExecMBA Podcast

ExecMBA Podcast #236: Meet Leah Svoboda, President, Network of Executive Women

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Leah Svoboda. Leah is a second year student in the Executive MBA Class of 2023, and she is the newly elected President of the Network of Executive Women (NEW) student organization. We talk with Leah about her background, her decision to pursue an MBA, what led her Darden as well as NEW’s plans for the years ahead. This episode is highly recommended for prospective students interested in learning more about Executive MBA clubs and organizations.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: UVA Darden | A Step by Step Application Guide

Please join our Admissions team for these special micro-podcast episodes giving you a step by step guide to the application process. There are two ways to listen to the playlist... here, on Spotify ► https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2EtyMkjZzi9ErgSjrTxKEl?si=1bffd345fee549ad

ExecMBA Podcast #235: In Conversation | LaShondra Ervin, VP, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Executive Student Association

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with LaShondra Ervin. LaShondra is a second year student in the Executive MBA Class of 2023, and she is also the Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for the Executive Student Association (ESA). We chat with LaShondra about her decision to pursue an MBA, what attracted her to Darden, as well as how she and her family have navigated the first year of the program. We also talk with LaShondra about the work of the Executive MBA Program’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee, including what they have planned for the months ahead. Fun fact: LaShondra was one of three Executive MBA recipients of the C. Steward Sheppard Distinguished Service Award at the program’s mid-point celebration.

ExecMBA Podcast #234 – Part-Time MBA and Executive MBA Applications Now Live!

On this episode, we are joined by longtime friend of the podcast, Director of Admissions Katherine Alford, for a conversation that is something of an annual tradition – the application launch episode! Our new Part-Time MBA and Executive MBA applications are now live, and we catch up with Katherine to talk about the applications as well as tips and strategies for Part-Time MBA and Executive MBA applicants.

ExecMBA Podcast #233: A Historic Opening Week

In this special edition of the Darden Admissions podcast, we catch up with Senior Assistant Dean of Admissions, Dawna Clarke, to reflect on a truly historic opening week for the Darden School of Business. On Monday, 15 August, for the first time in the history of the School, we welcomed Full-Time MBA, Part-Time MBA, and Executive MBA students to grounds for the start of school. In this episode, we discuss key data points for each of these classes and look ahead to a busy fall for the Admissions team, including upcoming deadlines, the annual Diversity Conference, a Women’s Leadership Symposium in Rosslyn and more.

ExecMBA Podcast #232: In Conversation | Senior Associate Dean Yael Grushka-Cockayne

In this special episode of the Darden Admissions podcast, we’re excited to share a recent installment from our ongoing Women@Darden event series featuring Senior Assistant Dean of Admissions Dawna Clarke and Senior Associate Dean, Professional Degree Programs Yael Grushka-Cockayne. Grushka-Cockayne leads UVA Darden’s Part-Time MBA, Executive MBA  and MSBA programs, and she is also a member of the Quantitative Analysis faculty. This conversation touches upon a wide variety of topics including UVA Darden’s differentiators, how faculty are an integrated part of the Darden community, the power of the case method, imposter syndrome and more. Grushka-Cockayne also shares insights from her research and publication.

ExecMBA Podcast #231: Office Hours Spotlight | In Conversation with Professor Robert Carraway

In this special edition of the Darden Admissions podcast, we share the 15th installment in our ongoing ‘Office Hours’ faculty spotlight series, a conversation with Professor Robert Carraway. Carraway teaches in the Quantitative Analysis area, and he has taught in UVA Darden’s Full-Time MBA and Executive MBA programs, and he will teach Decision Analysis in the core curriculum of the newly launched Part-Time MBA program. He served as Senior Associate Dean for MBA programs at UVA Darden from 2006 to 2011, a period that included the introduction of the Executive MBA program. In this wide-ranging conversation, Carraway offers his insights about the case method, the Darden community as well as the design of Darden’s core curriculum. He also discusses the important role intuition plays in analysis, and why stories matter when working with data.

ExecMBA Podcast #230: Office Hours Spotlight | In Conversation with Professor Andy Wicks

In this special edition of the Darden Admissions podcast, we share the 14th installment in our ongoing ‘Office Hours’ faculty spotlight series, a conversation with Professor Andy Wicks. Wicks teaches Ethics in Darden’s MBA and Executive Education programs. An ethicist with a background in religious studies, Wicks examines both the theoretical and practical implications of ethics through thought-provoking courses such as: "Responsible Leadership: Ultimate Questions and Creating Value for Stakeholders"; "Leadership, Values and Ethics"; "Servant Leadership"; and "Contemporary Issues in Business Ethics." In this wide-ranging conversation, we talk with Wicks about his background in Religious Studies, what led him to Darden, what he enjoys about teaching Ethics in business school, the inspiration behind his popular “Ultimate Questions” elective and more. Wicks is also the Director of UVA Darden’s Doctoral program, and he discusses the re-launch of the PhD program this fall. 

ExecMBA Podcast #229: Debbie Herndon | The Power of Community

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Debbie Herndon. Debbie is a student in the Executive MBA Class of 2023, and in this wide-ranging conversation she reflects upon her decision to pursue an MBA, what led her to Darden and the supportive community she encountered from her very first moments as a Darden student. Debbie also reflects upon returning to school later in her career and the impact of her first year in the Executive MBA program

ExecMBA Podcast #228: Catching Up with Jack Elsea (Class of 2023) and Matt Gray (Class of 2023)

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Jack Elsea and Matt Gray. Jack and Matt are second year students in the Executive MBA class of 2023, and we talk with them about the importance of making connections with classmates prior to the start of school, strategies for navigating the first year of the Executive MBA program, as well as what they are excited about as they move into their second year of study. For prospective students who live outside of the DC metro, Matt is based in Texas, and he reflects upon the experience of traveling to and from Rosslyn for the once-a-month weekend residencies.

ExecMBA Podcast #227: Meet Dr. Lauren Powlovich (Class of 2023), Focused Ultrasound Foundation

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Lauren Powlovich. Lauren is a student in the Executive MBA Class of 2023, and she is also a doctor. Lauren currently serves as the Associate Chief Medical Officer for the Focused Ultrasound Foundation, a Charlottesville-based foundation dedicated to bringing focused ultrasound, an early-stage, noninvasive therapeutic technology, to the treatment of medical disorders. We talk with Lauren about her decision to pursue an MBA, what she has gained from the program so far, her involvement with the Executive MBA program’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee as well as an emerging faith-based student interest group and more.

ExecMBA Podcast #226: Meet Jarred Mack, President, Darden Executive Veterans

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Jarred Mack. Jarred is a second year student in the Executive MBA Class of 2023, and he is also a Naval service member. We talk with Jarred about his service in the Naval supply corps, his decision to pursue an MBA and how he has balanced work, life and school in his first year at Darden. He also shares insights about his plans for the Darden Executive Veterans (DEV) student organization in the year ahead and reflects on how the organization seeks to support service members.

ExecMBA Podcast #225: Meet Dr. Billy Petersen (Class of 2023), Pediatric Hematologist-Oncologist

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Billy Petersen (Class of 2023). Billy is as second year student in the Executive MBA Class of 2023, and he is also a pediatric hematologist-oncologist at UVA Health. We talk with Billy about his medical career, his decision to pursue an MBA and how he has fit UVA Darden’s Executive MBA program into a very full professional and family life. Billy also discusses the important role his Learning Team played as he navigated his first year as a Darden student.

ExecMBA Podcast #224: Office Hours Spotlight | In Conversation with Professor Manel Baucells

In this special edition of the Darden Admissions podcast, we share the 13th installment in our ongoing ‘Office Hours’ faculty spotlight series, a conversation with Professor Manel Baucells. Baucells teaches quantitative analysis courses in Darden's MBA and Executive Education programs. Baucells' research focuses on incorporating psychological realism into consumer behavior models by considering factors such as reference point formation, mental accounting, psychological distance, anticipation, fatigue, and satiation; and examines how these factors influence risk and time preferences, consumer choices, and managerial decisions. We talk with Manel about his interest in quantifying the unquantifiable, why he’s passionate about the case method, as well as his research around attaining happiness. He also shares insights about Darden’s newly re-launched PhD program as well as his Behavioral Decision Making elective.

ExecMBA Podcast #223: Meet the Darden Executive Fund (DEF)

Over the coming weeks on the ExecMBA Podcast, we will spotlight Executive MBA clubs and organizations. First up is the Darden Executive Fund (DEF). The Darden Executive Fund (DEF) is an independent study providing Executive MBA students hands-on experience researching, pitching, and directly managing a portfolio of active investments in publicly traded assets. Members of the DEF leadership board, CEO Bahara Stapelberg (Class of 2023), CIO Alex Arinsmier (Class of 2023) and Director of Research and Events Jonathan Dengel (Class of 2023) reflect upon their respective MBA journeys as well as their plans for the DEF in the year ahead.

ExecMBA Podcast #222: Office Hours Spotlight | In Conversation with Professor June A. West

In this special edition of the Darden Admission's podcast, we share the 12th installment in our ongoing ‘Office Hours’ faculty spotlight series, a conversation with Professor June A. West. West is the Marjorie R. Sands Associate Professor of Business Administration, and she specializes in organizational communication, leadership, strategy, and change management. She teaches in Darden’s MBA, Executive MBA, Executive Education programs, iLab Innovation Incubator and the Center for Global Initiatives, where she offers for students a global course that takes place in Bahrain, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi. In the year ahead, she will also be teaching the Leadership Communication course in Darden’s newest MBA format, Part-Time MBA. We talk with June about her interest in communications, what led her to Darden, and why she’s so passionate about working with students. She also reflects upon her work with Darden’s Partnership for Leaders in Education (PLE), a program with UVA’s School of Education, as well as her current research interests, including hot topics in communications.
 

ExecMBA Podcast #221: Meet Gopika Spaenle, Career Center Managing Director, Professional Degree Programs

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Gopika Spaenle, the new Career Center Managing Director for Professional Degree Programs at the Darden School of Business. During this conversation, Gopika reflects upon what led her to Darden, why she’s passionate about supporting working professional students, as well as career paths and resources for Part-Time MBA and Executive MBA students. This episode is essential listening for anyone seeking to learn more about career support for working professional MBA students at UVA Darden.

ExecMBA Podcast #220: Spotlight on Darden Graduation 2022

In this special episode of the Darden Admissions podcast, we spotlight the recent Finals Exercises at the University of Virginia and the Darden School of Business. Every year, the Darden ceremony features student speakers who are nominated and voted upon by their classmates. We’re excited to share the remarks from Alex Smith (MBA ’22), the Full-Time MBA student speaker as well as Joe Stanley (EMBA ’22), the Executive MBA student speaker. You will also hear reflections and introductions from by the outgoing Darden Student Association (DSA) President DeMario Moore (MBA ’22) and outgoing Executive Student Association (ESA) President Catriona Stadtler-Ayer.

ExecMBA Podcast #219: In Conversation | Alta DeRoo (EMBA ’22), Chief Medical Officer, Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Alta DeRoo. Alta is a graduate in our Executive MBA Class of 2022, and she was recently named Chief Medical Officer for the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation. In this conversation, we talk with Alta about her background as both an OB/GYN as well as an addiction specialist, her decision to pursue an MBA, and how her Darden classes helped her grow as a leader and prepared her for new role. She also talks about how a popular second year elective, Speaking About Business, as well as feedback from her classmates, helped her sharpen and refine her communication style.

ExecMBA Podcast #218: ESA Spotlight | Nate Carlson and Sarah Boschung

In this episode of the podcast, we continue our spotlight on the Executive Student Association (ESA) and catch up with Nate Carlson and Sarah Boschung. Nate and Sarah are first year students in the Executive MBA Class of 2023, and they are the President and the Executive Vice President of the ESA, respectively. We talk with Nate and Sarah about their background, their decision to pursue an MBA, how they’ve balanced work, life and school, and what attracted them to serving as student leaders during their time at Darden. They also discuss their goals for the ESA in the year ahead.

ExecMBA Podcast #217: In Conversation | Amy Egeli, ESA VP for Careers

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Amy Egeli. Amy is a student in the Executive MBA Class of 2023, and she is also the Executive Student Association's (ESA) Vice President for Careers. We talk with Amy about her career as a Navy aviator, her decision to pursue an MBA, the important role her Learning Team has played as she's navigated the first year of the program and her goals for her term as VP for Careers.

ExecMBA Podcast #216: Admissions Tips for May and June Round Applicants

Calling all Executive MBA applicants! In this episode of the podcast, Admissions Committee members and friends of the podcast, Katherine Alford and Ashley Robinson share tips and insights for Executive MBA applicants targeting the remaining deadlines for our Executive MBA Class of 2024, enrolling August 2022  – 10 May, 10 June and 25 June. Topics include MBA timing, test waiver requests, scholarship funding and more.

ExecMBA Podcast #215: In Conversation | Professor Raj Venkatesan, Co-Academic Director, MSBA Program

In this special edition of the Darden Admissions podcast, we catch up with Raj Venkatesan. Venkatesan is a member of the Marketing faculty at Darden, and he was recently named the Co-Academic Director for the M.S. in Business Analytics program, a one-year specialized masters offered by the UVA Darden School of Business in partnership with UVA’s McIntire School of Commerce. Venkatesan’s areas of expertise are customer relationship management, marketing metrics and marketing analytics, and in this wide-ranging conversation, he reflects upon his background, what led him to Darden, what he’s researching currently and why he’s excited about his role at Co-Academic Director. He also discusses the important role communication and messaging play in analytics, and why the human element may matter even more in the data work of the future.

ExecMBA Podcast #214: Colin Wright-Pruski | On Being Right Where You Need to Be

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Colin Wright-Pruski. Colin is graduate in UVA Darden’s Executive MBA Class of 2021, and in this wide-ranging conversation, he reflects upon his decision to pursue an MBA and how his family nudged him to take this step. He also discusses serving as a class leader and how the Darden community transformed his MBA experience and helped him navigate a health scare early in the program. Lastly, he shares how the program has expanded his career options in not just one direction but seemingly every direction. Essential listening.

The ExecMBA Podcast #213: Aisha Pridgen | A Personal Passion for Healthcare

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Aisha Pridgen. Aisha is a second year student in UVA Darden’s Executive MBA Class of 2022, and in this conversation she reflects upon her decision to pursue an MBA and how she leveraged her Darden experience to secure a new role in the healthcare industry. She shares the tactics and strategies she employed as she explored potential career paths, as well as how her personal background ultimately shaped her passion for healthcare. Aisha is a lawyer by training and has she has spent her recent career working in higher education, and she also discusses how Darden helped her better understand both her strengths and her story.