Have you added Darden Admissions’ podcasts to your weekly download yet? Experience Darden is your source for conversations all about the Darden full-time MBA experience. The ExecMBA Podcast features, you guessed it, regular conversations with members of our Executive MBA community.
Here are a few recent highlights from these podcasts:
Big Pivots
We recently shared a blog post highlighting the many ways the Darden community was adapting to COVID-19 and the “new normal.” And in September, Senior Associate Dean Tom Steenburgh joined us on the Experience Darden podcast to talk about how the school spent the summer planning and preparing for the fall semester. Steenburgh is actually teaching this quarter, and during the interview he shares his thoughts on the new hybrid class format in which in-person and virtual participants engage during the same class session. Check out Experience Darden – Ep. 74 for more.
For those seeking insights about how our Executive MBA Program has been navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, be sure to check out our interview with newly appointed Senior Associate Dean for Professional Degree Programs Yael Grushka-Cockayne. During this interview, Grushka-Cockayne discusses her new role, why she’s passionate about working professionals programs, what she enjoys about teaching Decision Analysis (DA) and much more. Check out The ExecMBA Podcast – Ep. 131 for more.
Batten Goes Virtual
Executive Director of the Batten Institute Sean Carr recently stopped by to talk more about Batten’s pivot to virtual programming in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the benefits of this shift is that now even more people can access the Institute’s programming and resources, and, during the interview, Carr shared highlights from Batten’s fall calendar, including a start-up seminar series, workshops, virtual conferences and more. Fun fact: Carr is also the host of the Darden Ideas to Action podcast. Check it out!
Note: The resources and programming Carr discusses during the interview are available to both full-time and executive format students.
What’s It Like to be a Chief of Staff?
Prior to Darden, Alison Williams (EMBA ’15) had a deep career in policy-related roles, including stints with DEA, Homeland Security, TSA and more. She now serves as Chief of Staff for Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, and we recently connected with Alison to talk more about her MBA journey, how her Darden experience helps her in her current work and why she feels an MBA is valuable for policy professionals.
Humans of Darden
Amanda Wiggins (Class of 2021) is the President of Humans at Darden. Patterned on Humans of New York, this organization is focused on building stronger relationships between the members of the Darden community. We recently connected with Wiggans to learn more about her background in non-profits, her passion for criminal justice, what led her to Darden and why she thinks Humans of Darden is such an important group. Fun fact: Wiggans is also an MBA/M.Ed dual degree student.
Designing Your Own Classroom
Dianne Oroz (Class of 2021) is an architect and a designer, and she was part of the team who designed Sands Family Grounds, UVA Darden’s home in the Washington, D.C. Metro area. Oroz is an Executive MBA (EMBA) format student, and we recently caught up with her to talk about her decision to pursue an MBA and how her Darden experience has impacted her current work.
Diversity Conference Blazes New Trails
The Diversity Conference is always one of the highlights of the Admissions fall calendar, and this year’s conference was no exception. As with so many other events, the conference has shifted to virtual delivery, and we connected with Associate Director for Diversity Recruitment Marc Paulo Guzman to talk about plans for this year’s conference, tips for Diversity Conference applicants and more.
In the weeks leading up to this year’s Diversity Conference, we featured a number of diversity-themed podcast interviews, including conversations with this year’s ROMBA Fellows and Consortium Liaisons, as well as members of the Graduate Women in Business (GWIB) leadership board and the Darden Student Association’s (DSA) VP for Diversity, Miranda Grueiro.
Entrepreneurial Endeavors
The ExecMBA Podcast – Ep. 120 – Expand My Tribe
The ExecMBA Podcast – Ep. 132 – Vinoshares
The ExecMBA Podcast – Ep. 141 – Trubaker
Entrepreneurship is always a popular topic on The ExecMBA Podcast, and we regularly spotlight students and alumni who are leveraging their Darden experience to help grow their own businesses. Over the past few months, we’ve featured interviews with alumni engaged in a variety of ventures, including a start-up seeking to help individuals make meaningful social connections, an oenophile-oriented business focused on helping wine enthusiasts discover and share new wines and a Africa-inspired fashion start-up.
Be sure to consult the Latest News regularly for the most updated news releases and media hits. Check out faculty thought leadership published on Ideas to Action. And stay connected with us via social media: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, WeChat.
