Experience Darden

In this episode of the podcast, we spotlight the Second Year Tutor Program, and we are joined for this conversation by the outgoing Second Year Tutor Chairs Kate Shadlock (Class of 2022) and Johnny Mac Yates (Class of 2022). With graduation on the horizon, Kate and Johnny Mac talk reflect upon their MBA journey and the impact of their Darden experience. They also discuss what the tutoring program, the important role Second Year students play in supporting First Year students, and how their experience leading the tutoring program has only deepened their respect and appreciation for the Darden faculty.

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Sukari Brown (Class of 2023). Sukari is a First Year student in UVA Darden’s Full-Time MBA Class of 2023, and it’s fair to say she is involved in the extracurricular life of the school. Sukari is the President-Elect of the Private Equity Club, a Breakthrough Scholar, a Consortium member and a portfolio manager for Darden Capital Management. She is also meaningfully involved with the Black Business Student Association (BBSA), Darden African Business Organization (DABO), and the Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital Club (EVCC). During this wide-ranging conversation, we talk with Sukari about her MBA journey and what led her to Darden. She also discusses her plans for the summer, and her Darden Venture Fellowship with Sands Capital Management in Arlington, Virginia. This episode is essential listening for anyone interested in learning more about private equity and venture capital-related opportunities and support at the Darden School. Click here for more information about the Breakthrough Scholars Program.

In this conversation, we catch up with Ryan Cox. Ryan is a first year student in Darden’s Class of 2023, and he is also enrolled in UVA’s MS in Data Science program. We talk with Ryan about his experience as a dual degree student, what it’s like learning in the case method, his plans for his summer internship and what he loves about his first year section, Section D. Ryan applied to Darden through the Future Year Scholars Program, Darden’s deferred enrollment program for bachelor’s degree students in their final year of student and full-time masters students who have not held a full-time work position.

In this conversation, we catch up with Kristian Robinson. Kristian is the Associate Director of Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Recruiting at the Darden School of Business, and we recently connected with him via Zoom to talk about his journey to Darden. Kristian has a background in mental health counseling and he is currently working on a Ph.D at Virginia Commonwealth University, and in this wide-ranging conversation, he shares how his background and research interests led him to pursue a role in higher education, and Admissions specifically. Fun fact: Kristian was instrumental in planning and executing this year’s Darden Diversity Conference.

In this episode of the podcast we catch up with Tyler Kelley and Moriah Horner. Tyler and Moriah are First Year students in the Full-Time MBA Class of 2023, and they are also newly elected leaders of the Darden Student Association (DSA). Tyler is the DSA President and Moriah is DSA Executive Vice President, and we talk with them about their backgrounds, how they decided to pursue an MBA, how their first year has gone and what they hope to accomplish as DSA leaders in the year ahead.

In this special edition of the podcast, we spotlight the University of Virginia’s MS in Business Analytics. The MSBA is a 12-month program offered in partnership by the Darden School of Business and the McIntire School of Commerce, and it is designed for working professionals seeking to learn essential and emerging data analysis techniques within a business context. We are joined for this conversation by two Admissions colleagues from the McIntire School of Commerce, Lizzie Batman and Mary Wells, as well as frequent Admissions podcast guest and Darden Admissions Committee member, Katherine Alford.

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 Professor of Practice Vivian Riefberg. Riefberg is a Professor of Practice at the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia where she holds a David C. Walentas Jefferson Scholars Chair. She joined the Darden faculty after over 31 years at McKinsey & Company, and she is one of the faculty sponsors for the Women@Darden initiative, teaches in both the Executive and Full-Time MBA formats, and serves on many advisory boards. Riefberg is a Director Emeritus with McKinsey and was also recently named as an Advisory Board Member for the Smithsonian's American Women's History Museum.

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Hemant Das. Hemant serves as the Principal Advisor for India Initiatives through Darden's partner Sannam S4. Hemant works collaboratively across the Darden Enterprise, leading efforts to advance the school’s impact and engagement in India and the region. He is a key liaison for Darden to alumni, corporate partners, current/prospective students, and business and educational institutions in the region. We talk with Hemant about his background, what led him to Darden, the power of the Darden network in India and why he enjoys engaging with members of the Darden community.

In this episode of the podcast, we connect with Kate Allen (Class of 2022). Kate is a second year student, and she also serves as Vice President for Darden Cup on the Darden Student Association. During this wide-ranging conversation, Kate talks about how she identified her target MBA programs, why Darden resonated with her, and what it was like to go through the business school application process with a partner who was also a B-school applicant. Kate also reflects upon her decision to serve as VP for Darden Cup and shares how things have been going this year.  Fun fact: Kate is a Second Year Coach, working closely with a  group of First Year Darden students as they navigate the job search process.

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Doris Cao. Doris is Director of China Initiatives with Darden’s Center for Global Initiatives, and she is based in Shanghai, China. We recently connected with Doris via Zoom to talk about what led her Darden, what enjoys about working with Darden students and why she thinks Darden is such a transformational MBA experience. She also shares reflections on her career in higher education and insights about what makes Shanghai such an exciting city.

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Second Year students Juan Montiel (Class of 2022) and Jorge Laborde (Class of 2022). Juan and Jorge are both members of the Latin American Student Association (LASA) student organization leadership board, and we talk with them about their decision to pursue an MBA, what led them to Darden and their experiences relocating to Charlottesville from Argentina and Chile, respectively, for business school. They also share insights about the Darden community and what LASA has planned for the months ahead.

In this special edition of the Darden Admissions podcasts, we share the 11th installment in our ongoing ‘Office Hours’ faculty spotlight series, a conversation with Professor Toni Irving. Irving is a Professor of Practice at the Darden School, and she teaches several courses in the Strategy, Ethics and Entrepreneurship area, including “Getting in the Room Where It Happens: How to Successfully Navigate the Workplace and Get Things Done”, “Business Ethics Through Literature”, Whose Streets?!: ESG Strategies to Create Competitive Advantage from Wall Street to Main Street” and “Thinking of a Master Plan: Non-Profit Management, Metrics & Impact Making in the Field.” In this wide-ranging conversation, we talk with Irving about her journey from UVA grad to English and American Literature PhD to English professor to Deputy Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor for the Governor State of Illinois to founding and launching a social impact fund and now her work at Darden. She also shares insights about her courses and reflects upon what she enjoys about teaching both Full-Time MBA and Executive MBA students.

In this special edition of the Darden Admissions podcasts, we share the 10th installment in our ongoing ‘Office Hours’ faculty spotlight series, a conversation with Professor Marc Lipson. Lipson is a member of the Finance faculty, and he teaches a wide range of courses at the Darden School, including First Year Finance, International Corporate Finance, and Innovators, Designers, and Entrepreneurs in Action. He also recently served as the Associate Dean for the Full-Time MBA program. Lipson’s principal area of research is market microstructure — the study of how market design and organization affects price formation and liquidity. We talk with Lipson about what led him to Darden, what he loves about the Darden classroom, his time as a visiting scholar at the New York Stock Exchange, as well as his passion for art and culture and how these interests inform his work.

In this episode of the podcast, we welcome back an old friend, Director of Admissions Catie Yeilding. In this episode we talk with Catie about a wide range of topics, from her recent favorite podcast and college football to application tips and the Darden interview. Catie shares insights for applicants targeting Darden’s Full-Time MBA Round 2 application deadline. Essential listening.

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Olivia Pavco-Giaccia. Olivia is a second year student in the Full-Time MBA Class of 2022, and prior to arriving at Darden, she founded and ran a social enterprise, LabCandy, focused on breaking down gender barriers and educating young girls in STEM. We talk with her about her background in science and how she decided to pursue an MBA. Olivia is also the President of the Community Consultant of Darden student organization, and she shares insights about the club’s work and what the group has planned for the months ahead. Essential listening.

In this special edition of the Darden Admissions podcasts, we share the ninth installment in our ongoing ‘Office Hours’ faculty spotlight series, a conversation with Professor Casey Lichtendahl. Lichtendahl is a member of the Quantitative Analysis faculty and Co-Academic Director for the MS in Business Analytics program. He is also a Darden alumnus, and in this wide-ranging conversation, we talk with Lichtendahl about his background in the beverage industry, how a Quantitative Analysis course with Robert Carraway sparked his passion for data and changed his life, his recent work forecasting for Google, what it’s like to teach at Darden as an alumnus, why he feels the Darden learning environment is truly special and much more. Essential listening.

In this special edition of the Darden Admissions podcasts, we share the seventh installment in our ongoing ‘Office Hours’ faculty spotlight series, a conversation with Professor Dan Murphy. Murphy is a member of the Global Economies and Market, and during this wide-ranging conversation, he touches upon everything from growing up in Denver and his twin passions for policy and economics to affordable housing and his favorite book of all-time.

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Shuai Yao (Class of 2023). Shuai reflects upon her personal story, including relocating from China to the Washington and launching her own global social media talk show on which she interviewed passengers she picked up while driving for Lyft. Shuai also shares insights from her first couple quarters at Darden, including how her Learning Team has become another family for her and her fellow teammates.

In this special edition of the Darden Admissions podcasts, we recap the recent Darden Diversity Conference! This year’s conference was hosted virtually, and it marked the fourth occasion of this annual event. We catch up with two students who served on the Diversity Conference planning committee – Full-Time MBA student Khaliyah Legette (Class of 2022) and Executive MBA student Chi Lo (Class of 2022) – to talk about this year’s conference, the planning and preparation that went into the two-day affair, why diversity matters at Darden and more.

This weekend marks the occasion of Darden’s annual Diversity Conference! In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Natalia Alvarez Diaz. Natalia is a second year student in the Full-Time MBA Class of 2022, and she is also the President of the Graduate Women in Business (GWIB) club. In this wide-ranging conversation, Natalia reflects on a host of topics, ranging from her MBA journey and what led her to Darden to her passion for social justice and how community engagement has enriched her business school experience.

In this episode, we catch up with Second Year Full-Time MBA students Alex Goodman (Class of 2022) and Bridget Coburn (Class of 2022) to talk about plans for this year’s Graduate Women in Business (GWIB) Conference. Alex and Bridget also reflect upon their respective MBA journeys, what GWIB has meant to them during their time at Darden and what led them to serve on the GWIB Board as Vice Presidents of Conference.

In this episode of the podcast, we continue our spotlight on student founders with a conversation with Josh Rombach (Class of 2022). Josh has recently launched a business focused on bringing piquette wine to the masses, Piiq. What is “piquette”? As the Piiq website notes, piquette dates back to Roman times, and it is an effervescent, sparkling wine. We talk with Josh about Piiq’s origins, how the Batten Institute and the Darden community have helped him in the early days of his venture and how Piiq is navigating the pandemic. Josh also offers reflections on his decision to pursue an MBA, what led him to Darden and more.

In this special edition of the Darden Admissions podcasts, we share the seventh installment in our ongoing ‘Office Hours’ faculty spotlight series, a conversation with Professor Ed Freeman. Freeman is a member of the Strategy, Ethics and Entrepreneurship faculty, and an academic director for UVA Darden’s Institute for Business in Society. We talk with Freeman and his background in philosophy, his work on stakeholder theory, and why we need a new story about business. Freeman also discusses his recent documentary, Fishing With Dynamite, as well as his new podcast, The Stakeholder Podcast. He also shares his top five “desert island” albums. Essential listening.

Calling all members of the full plate club. In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with two of Darden’s dual degree students, Geoff Hansen (MBA/MSDS, Class of 2022) and Lyndsay Burke (MBA/M.Ed, Class of 2022), as well as Merav Frazier, Senior Associate Director, Global Recruitment. In this wide-ranging conversation, Geoff and Lyndsay share reflections on their decision to pursue a dual degree as well as insights about their coursework and class schedules. Merav also offers tips for prospective students considering one of Darden’s dual degrees.

In this special edition of the Admissions podcast, we welcome back Darden faculty member and friend of the pod Greg Fairchild. In this wide-ranging conversation, Fairchild shares insights about one of Darden’s newest scholarship initiatives – the Breakthrough Scholars Program – a scholarship offering focused on creating new opportunities for diverse candidates to thrive in fields of asset management. Fairchild also talks about his new role as CEO and Dean for UVA’s Northern Virginia initiatives as well as a number of Darden-related DC area projects – including the DC Dean’s Fellows, his latest Executive MBA elective and more.