Experience Darden

Experience Darden #170: 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.

Experience Darden #169: 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.

Experience Darden #168: 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.

Experience Darden #167: Future Year Scholar Spotlight | Daniela Fernandez (Class of 2023)

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Daniela Fernandez. Daniela is a student in the Full-Time MBA Class of 2023, and she applied to Darden through the Future Year Scholars Program. Daniela talks about her career prior to Darden – including a stint at Mattel serving as a regional brand manager for Barbie – as well as how she decided to pursue an MBA. She also reflects upon her first year at Darden, her plans for the summer and some of her extracurricular activities, including the Darden student/faculty band and the Cold Call Chorus.  e podcast, we catch up with Daniela Fernandez. Daniela is a student in the Full-Time MBA Class of 2023, and she applied to Darden through the Future Year Scholars Program. Daniela talks about her career prior to Darden – including a stint at Mattel serving as a regional brand manager for Barbie – as well as how she decided to pursue an MBA. She also reflects upon her first year at Darden, her plans for the summer, and some of her extracurricular activities, including the Darden student/faculty band and the Cold Call Chorus.  

Experience Darden #166: Future Year Scholar Spotlight | Lindsay Bralower (MBA ’22)

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Lindsay Bralower. Lindsay is a recent graduate in the Full-Time MBA Class of 2022, and she also applied to Darden through the Future Year Scholars Program. We talk with Lindsay about her MBA journey, what attracted her to the Future Year Scholars Program, what it’s like being a “double ‘Hoo”, and where she’ll be heading after graduation.

Experience Darden #165: Meet Cecilia Rios Murrieta (MBA ’22), Founder of JAS

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Cecilia Rios Murrieta. Cecilia is a graduate in the Full-Time MBA Class of 2022, and she is also a founder. We talk with Cecilia about her MBA journey, including her background in the Mezcal and spirits industry as well as her new venture, JAS. JAS (Joie Avec Sans) is an alcohol-free beverage brand that allows everyone to participate in the social ritual of drinking without compromise, by mindfully creating beverages that emulate the look, taste and mouth-feel of traditional alcoholic beverages.

Experience Darden #164: Meet Yeti Ogunwumi, President, Building Goodness in April

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Yeti Ogunwumi. Yeti is a second year student in the Full-Time MBA Class of 2023, and she is also President of Building Goodness in April (BGIA), a student organization dedicated to keeping marginalized homeowners living in warmth, dignity, and decency, and to improving the facilities of local community groups. We talk with Yeti about her background in architecture, her passion for art, why she was excited to be a double ‘Hoo, her plans for BGIA in the year and much more.

Experience Darden #163: Meet Vashti Barran, President, Humans of Darden

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Vashti Barran (Class of 2023). Vashti is a second year student in the Full-Time MBA Class of 2023, and, in this wide-ranging conversation, she reflects upon her MBA journey – from growing up in New York City, to college in NYC, to her career in the non-profit sector, to Charlottesville and her first year as a Darden student. Vashti is President of Humans of Darden, a student organization that seeks to form stronger connections among the humans of the Darden School of Business, and she also shares her plans and vision for Humans of Darden in the year ahead.

Experience Darden #162: 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.

Experience Darden #161: Spotlight on the Application for the Full-Time MBA Class of 2025

Senior Assistant Dean for Admissions, Dawna Clarke, joins us for our annual spotlight on the new Full-Time MBA application. Dawna shares insights about the application, including her favorite essay question, tips for choosing a recommender, advice for candidates considering a test waiver request and more. She also talks about the importance of approaching the MBA application process with both joy and excitement.

Experience Darden #160: Office Hours Spotlight | In Conversation with Professor June A. West

In this special edition of the Darden Admissions 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.

Experience Darden #159: Meet June Sun, Chief Investment Officer, Darden Capital Management

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with June Sun. June is a student in UVA Darden’s Full-Time MBA Class of 2023, and she is the Chief Investment Officer for Darden Capital Management, an organization comprised of 24 second-year students chosen to actively manage six investment portfolios for the Darden School Foundation, including the newest fund focused on REITs, which launched on 1 April 2022. We talk with June about her journey to Darden, why she’s passionate about Finance, her plans for the summer ahead, what she’s looking forward to accomplishing in her CIO role and more.

Experience Darden #158: 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.

Experience Darden #157: Meet Khushali Shah, UVA Darden Forte Fellow Ambassador

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Khushali Shah. Khushali is a student in our Full-Time MBA Class of 2023, and she was recently named Forte fellow ambassador for 2022-2023. She is also VP International for UVA Darden’s Graduate Women in Business (GWIB). We talk with Khushali about her background and her decision to pursue an MBA, as well as what attracted her to the Forte fellow ambassador role.

Experience Darden #156: Nikolaus Jacobs | Following Your “North Star”

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Nikolaus Jacobs. Nikolaus, or “Niko” as his classmates know him, is a second year student the Full-Time MBA Class of 2022. Niko is originally from Germany and came to the United States for college before spending time working for Google in Ireland. We talk with Niko about his MBA journey and how his career interests have evolved during his time at Darden. He also reflects on the importance of knowing your priorities and values, or as he describes it “your north star”, as you navigate business school.

Experience Darden #155: Entrepreneurship Spotlight | Clarifi Technologies LLC

In this episode of the podcast, we continue our ongoing spotlight on student founders. We catch up Bradley Levergood (Class of 2023) and Maya Singh (Class of 2023) about their venture, Clarifi Technologies, LLC, a product to help students with ADHD stay focused while doing digital work. We also talk with Bradley and Maya about their MBA journeys, how UVA's Entrepreneurship Cup has helped them  along their entrepreneurial path, and what their excited about for Clarifi in the months ahead.

Experience Darden #154: Catching Up with Adriana Gadala-Maria (Class of 2022)

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Adriana Gadala-Maria. Adriana, or “Adri” as her Darden classmates know her, is a second year student in UVA Darden’s Full-Time MBA Class of 2022. In this wide-ranging conversation, we talk about Adri’s journey from the tech industry in the San Francisco Bay Area to Darden community in Charlottesville. She reflects upon her decision to pursue an MBA, what led her to Darden and how she has pursued her passion for venture capital during her time in business school, including internships with Cav Angels, Glynn Capital and Dorm Room Fund, as well as serving as President of the Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital (EVC) club. This episode is highly recommended for prospective students with an interest in venture capital and/or private equity.  

Experience Darden #153: 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.

Experience Darden #152: Rachel Edwards | Bringing Personal Styling to the People

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Rachel Edwards. Rachel is a second year student in UVA Darden’s Full-Time MBA Class of 2022, and she is also an entrepreneur. Rachel has spent her career in fashion, and we chat with her about her decision to pursue an MBA, what led her to Darden, her work with the UVA Seed Fund and early stage ventures during her two years in Cville, as well the software application she is developing focused on helping individuals sharpen their personal fashion and style.

Experience Darden #151: Consortium Liaisons | Building a Community within a Community

In what is quickly becoming an annual tradition on the podcast, in this episode we catch up with the new Consortium co-liaisons for the upcoming academic year – Alexis Orr (Class of 2023), Minnie Lahoti (Class of 2023) and Angel Monrroy (Class of 2023). Alexis, Minnie and Angel reflect upon their MBA journeys and why they’re excited to serve as Consortium liaisons in the year ahead. They also share what the Consortium community has meant to them over the past year, and they also provide a few tips for incoming Darden students.

Experience Darden #150: Kate Shadlock & Johnny Mac Yates | Spotlight on the Second Year Tutor Program

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.

Experience Darden #149: Sukari Brown (Class of 2023) | Pursuing Your Passions In Business School

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.

Experience Darden #148: Future Year Scholar Spotlight | Ryan Cox (Class of 2023)

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.

Experience Darden #147: In Conversation | Kristian Robinson, Associate Director of Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Recruiting

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.

Experience Darden #146: In Conversation | DSA Leaders Tyler Kelley and Moriah Horner

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.