MBA Program

U.S. Army Vet and MBA alum credits Costello for expanding his dreams

Jennifer Anzaldi — Mon, 11 Nov 2024 14:31:18 +0000

U.S. Army Vet and MBA alum credits Costello for expanding his dreams Jennifer Anzaldi Mon, 11/11/2024 - 09:31

After eight years in the U.S. Army, Allen Taber, MBA 鈥�22, was looking for a way to grow in his career. The Donald G. Costello College of Business at George Mason 麻豆国产 provided him the tools he was seeking. Taber came to George Mason for an MBA, and left with a new dream of pursuing a doctorate.

Allen Taber, MBA 鈥�22

鈥淕eorge Mason was an awesome experience, especially for someone who wasn鈥檛 in school for over a decade,鈥� says Taber. A parent of a young child, Costello offered him the location and flexibility he was seeking. 鈥淧rofessors worked with us. Almost every single professor you had was out there to help students out.鈥澛�

Prior to coming to Costello, Taber served as a computer detection specialist in the U.S. Army. 鈥淚 brought the skills I learned in the military to the workplace, which allowed me to become a program manager within the information technology industry,鈥� says Taber. While working as a project manager he quickly realized that if he wanted to grow in his company, he needed an advanced degree.聽

For Taber, learning the theory behind what he was doing in his position helped to make him a better manager. Taber says his Management Consulting course with Jim Wolfe, associate professor of management and entrepreneur in residence at Costello, was particularly impactful. 鈥淲e bounced ideas off of each other in the class that I could implement in my current position,鈥� says Taber.聽

Allen Taber, MBA 鈥�22, in Chile on his MBA Global Residency.

In addition to Wolfe鈥檚 class, Taber says his most memorable experience during his time at George Mason was the Global Residency Program to Chile. 鈥淲e had the opportunity to learn different business operations, and more importantly how a different country operates, both similarities and differences. It was amazing to study in a place you normally would never go,鈥� says Taber. 鈥淚t was the first time I left the country in 20 years.鈥� 聽

Taber says that not only was the business education experience impactful, but exploring the city and learning about the culture left a lasting imprint as well.

Allen Taber, MBA 鈥�22, spent eight years in the U.S. Army.

After completing his MBA, Taber continued on for his doctorate in business administration at Walden 麻豆国产. 鈥淧rofessor Wolfe was a catalyst to push me into my doctoral studies,鈥� says Taber. 鈥淵ou talk about it, you think about, but having someone who鈥檚 been doing it for so many years say 鈥楪o for it鈥� is pretty awesome.鈥�

Taber says the MBA program prepared him well for his doctorate. Taber is currently the senior technical project manager for Monture, LLC, and working on completing his doctoral study.

Taber鈥檚 advice to students considering the program: 鈥淚t is never too late to go back to school. While I had great accomplishments in the workplace, having an advanced degree will open up future opportunities that would not be possible without it.鈥�

聽

Photos provided by Allen Taber.

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Alumni

Military

First-generation alumna and MBA student shares recipes for creating treasured memories in new book

Jennifer Anzaldi — Thu, 07 Nov 2024 15:14:34 +0000

First-generation alumna and MBA student shares recipes for creating treasured memories in new book Jennifer Anzaldi Thu, 11/07/2024 - 10:14

Born and raised in Paris, France, Ava Uppal, BS Marketing 鈥�19, fondly recalls baking with her mother and turning simple ingredients into heartfelt memories.

Uppal grew up eating her mother鈥檚 freshly baked French yogurt cakes for breakfast and enjoyed every bit of it. Now, as a part-time Costello College of Business at George Mason 麻豆国产 MBA student and a working mother of two children, she鈥檚 a small business owner and author of a new cookbook.

Uppal, a self-described dream chaser, is the founder of Baked 脿 la carte, a French bespoke cakes and dessert bar catering company in Washington, D.C. She credits her success in starting and managing a small business to the business education she received at George Mason 麻豆国产, and the cadre of amazing mentors she encountered in the business college鈥檚 alumni community. 鈥淏eing a student at Mason was the start of my American Dream journey,鈥� says Uppal. 鈥淭he alumni network has been a tremendous support to me along my journey, from student to post-graduate.鈥澛�

鈥淭he alumni network has been a tremendous support to me along my journey, from student to post-graduate.鈥�

She began Baked 脿 la carte to carry on her mother鈥檚 legacy of spreading love with baked goods, using recipes she learned from her mom and which she now shares in her new book, Baking Memories. The cookbook is a nod to her Parisian roots and her mother鈥檚 baking legacy.

聽

Baking Memories is filled with a collection of simple and fun recipes that readers can use to start their own family traditions and create treasured memories. The recipes have a French flair and include a variety of tasty treats鈥攆rom French-style cakes and cookies to madeleines and other baked goods鈥攁ll inspired by her beloved mother and Ava鈥檚 own life as a first-generation immigrant, George Mason alumna, working mom, military spouse, and entrepreneur.

She and her daughter, Zoya, were recently featured in a Small Business Spotlight segment on WJLA ABC 7鈥檚 Good Morning Washington show. During the broadcast, she shared her recipe for French Yogurt cakes with co-hosts Eileen Whelan and Britt Waters. As Uppal demonstrated, her recipes are easy to follow and customizable, which makes them appealing to almost everyone in the family.

Uppal continues to share her creative ideas and recipes as an on-air lifestyle expert and has appeared on television stations including affiliates of ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC.

鈥淭here is something special about being in the kitchen and creating,鈥� says Uppal. 鈥淭he process of baking allows us to explore, express our creativity, and get something delicious at the end.鈥� Uppal also notes that baking appeals to our senses鈥攕ight, smell, taste, touch, and even hearing鈥攁nd can serve as a psychological cue in awakening treasured memories. One of her fondest childhood memories is sitting on the kitchen counter bonding with her sister and late mother, while baking French yogurt cakes.

Uppal expects to complete her Costello MBA in 2025.

In the meantime, she鈥檚 focused on building treasured memories with her own family while chasing her dream of growing her business portfolio. Her recipe for personal and professional success includes generous portions of passion, hard work, and balance, which is making quality time for her family and involving her children in her life鈥檚 work.

Uppal鈥檚 debut cookbook is available for purchase on聽avauppal.com.

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PhD student鈥檚 research on COVID-19 transmission leads to discovery of a major model gap

Colleen Rich — Fri, 09 Aug 2024 20:52:40 +0000

PhD student鈥檚 research on COVID-19 transmission leads to discovery of a major model gap Colleen Rich Fri, 08/09/2024 - 16:52

Scientists have long studied the spread of diseases, but the emergence of COVID-19 and its profound impact on society have underscored the critical need to understand where and how diseases spread. As George Mason 麻豆国产 doctoral student Jericho McLeod reviewed literature on disease transmission as part of his work toward a聽PhD in computational science and informatics, he and George Mason professor聽Eduardo L贸pez noticed a gap in the models and now seek to correct it.聽

From left, PhD student and George Mason alum Jericho McLeod with Professor Eduardo L贸pez in front of their research poster at the International Pandemic Sciences Conference at Oxford 麻豆国产. Photo provided

In trying to understand why disease transmissions were worse in some areas over others, McLeod and L贸pez dove into COVID-19 data looking specifically at extended family ties鈥攎eaning family members beyond the nuclear family of parents and children, such as cousins, aunts, uncles, or grandparents.聽

鈥淎ccording to research on social networks in the United States, individuals during crises like COVID-19, contract their social circles yet become more active with them,鈥� said McLeod. 鈥淒uring lockdown, you saw your friends less, but may have still delivered groceries to your grandmother regularly.鈥�

Studies by McLeod,聽L贸pez, and George Mason PhD student Unchitta Kan previously confirmed that聽people migrated closer to family more frequently after the pandemic began and that聽availability of extended family plays a primary factor in influencing face-to-face interaction, laying the groundwork for this research. Now, McLeod and L贸pez wanted to know if these extended family ties played a role in the spread of COVID-19.

With the help of Kan and doctoral students Bryan Adams, Valentin Vergara Hidd, and Mailun (Alan) Zhang, they aimed to confirm that these networks mattered enough to warrant future research and updates to disease modeling.

The team gathered obituaries in the Unites States between 2020 to 2022 to examine familial relationships with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data聽on deaths by geography, age, and gender. They found that during COVID-19, there were more instances of multiple family members dying within short periods (e.g., 60 days) compared to 2018 and 2019, where such cases were less common. This rise in deaths aligns with CDC data on excess deaths but is more noticeable between different waves of the pandemic.聽So, should these relationships be considered in models demonstrating the spread of disease? McLeod says yes.聽

In July, McLeod presented his research at the聽International Pandemic Sciences Conference at Oxford 麻豆国产 and was awarded best poster presentation in the epidemiology, data and analytics category.聽

鈥淚 am very proud of our work, and it has been collaborative in every way,鈥� said L贸pez, who is an associate professor of computational data sciences. 鈥淛ericho has a strong ability to work through the data engineering portion of a problem, but also has the intuition necessary to make this research happen. We were optimistic that we would see the effects that we did, and now we have this great opportunity to study something that people have just completely overlooked.鈥�

McLeod earned a degree in accounting from the 麻豆国产 of South Alabama before attending George Mason to earn an MBA. In one of his business courses at the Costello College of Business taught by Pallab Sanyal, professor of information systems and operations management, McLeod was introduced to data analytics and machine learning鈥攁nd found it fascinating. He went on complete a graduate certificate in data analytics at George Mason before deciding to pursue a PhD.

鈥淎ttending the [Oxford] conference was so energizing,鈥� McLeod said. 鈥淚t brought together a collection of top minds, and Dr. L贸pez knew the right people to introduce me to, which led to additional conversations, ideation, and thoughts on future directions for this research.鈥�

George Mason鈥檚聽Graduate Student Travel Fund, offered by the Office of the Provost, supported McLeod鈥檚 trip to the Oxford-based conference.聽

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Costello MBA global residency experience: consulting project with Circle Care Clinic in Dubai, UAE

Greg Johnson — Wed, 24 Jul 2024 21:25:23 +0000

Costello MBA global residency experience: consulting project with Circle Care Clinic in Dubai, UAE Greg Johnson Wed, 07/24/2024 - 17:25

Each summer, MBA students at the Costello College of Business at George Mason 麻豆国产 travel abroad as part of their global residency experience. The goal of the global residency experience is for these students to fully immerse themselves in the business culture of the country they are currently visiting. This year, four cohorts traveled to Greece, Japan, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), each having unique experiences based on their destination.

Cohort in front of the Burj Khalifa

During the global residency, the agenda includes site visits at companies ranging from multinationals to startups, delving into their business practices, and learning about the local culture with scheduled tours and events.

As Nirup Menon, professor of information systems and operations management and the faculty lead for the UAE trip, put it, 鈥淪ure, reading about doing business in Dubai is useful. But conducting a competition and market analysis for geographic or product scope expansion in Dubai gives students specific and lasting impressions about global business.鈥澛�

John Davis, the Costello MBA student ambassador, shared his experience and the project he and his team completed in the UAE. Their consulting project aimed to leverage their analytical skills and fresh perspectives to enhance Circle Care Clinic's services and operational efficiency.
聽

The following project recap is written by John Davis, Costello MBA student ambassador.聽

Project Overview聽

麻豆国产 consulting project focused on analyzing Circle Care Clinic's current services and facilities. My team and I conducted multiple meetings and site visits with Circle Care Clinic鈥檚 business director Joe Hawayek, immersing ourselves in the clinic鈥檚 daily operations to understand its strengths and areas for improvement. We also received great feedback from Mr. Hawayek: 鈥淧artnering with the Costello MBA program has been a transformative experience for Circle Care Clinic. Their insightful analysis and strategic recommendations have provided us with a clear roadmap for enhancing our services and expanding our footprint in the UAE healthcare landscape.鈥澛�

Recommendations聽

At Circle Care Clinic

麻豆国产 top recommendation was expanding the services offered by Circle Care Clinic. Recognizing the growing trend and necessity of digital healthcare, we proposed integrating telemedicine services for specific specialties such as dermatology. This addition would broaden the clinic's reach and cater to the increasing demand for convenient and accessible healthcare options. Furthermore, we suggested introducing additional specialties and expanding current ones to attract a wider patient base and provide more comprehensive care. Specialties such as dermatology, women鈥檚 health, and orthopedics were highlighted as potential growth areas based on our market research.聽

麻豆国产 analysis also covered the strategic expansion of Circle Care Clinic to a third and fourth location within the UAE. We identified optimal locations based on demographic trends, population density, and competition analysis. The recommended sites were selected to ensure maximum accessibility and convenience for potential patients, aiming to solidify Circle Care Clinic's presence in the region. The expansion strategy included detailed plans for resource allocation, marketing, and phased implementation to ensure sustainable growth.聽

Takeaways聽

Sightseeing in the desert

This consulting project with Circle Care Clinic in Dubai provided us with valuable insights into international business and healthcare. We navigated the UAE鈥檚 healthcare market, learning about its regulations, cultural nuances, and operational challenges. This experience enhanced our understanding of global business and equipped us with skills to thrive in diverse settings. 麻豆国产 team demonstrated analytical prowess and strategic thinking, contributing to the clinic's vision of exceptional healthcare services. This collaboration benefited both Circle Care Clinic and us, allowing us to bring together everything we learned throughout the course of our MBA program and provide insights and actionable growth plans to an established business in a foreign country. 聽

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In This Story

Nirup Menon

Sustainability MBA elective matches student teams with partner companies

Greg Johnson — Thu, 16 May 2024 15:09:06 +0000

Sustainability MBA elective matches student teams with partner companies Greg Johnson Thu, 05/16/2024 - 11:09

When hearing the term 鈥渟ustainability鈥� in business circles, there鈥檚 often a misconception that it hinders growth. For the last three years, the MBA elective course Environmentally Sustainable Operations has offered interested graduate students from across George Mason 麻豆国产 the opportunity to work with companies from multiple industries on making the business case for sustainability.聽

Dominic Leone, Jordan Heisen,
Sabrena Snow (Hyde), Rachel Edwards

Each year, new companies participate, mobilized by George Mason alumni, faculty and staff, and other community members. 鈥淚 only need to have one conversation with them, and then they're on board,鈥� says Ioannis Bellos, an associate professor of Information Systems and Operations Management (ISOM) at the Costello College of Business at George Mason 麻豆国产 and director of the MBA Program; Bellos developed the course and has been teaching it since Spring 2022. This latest semester the course featured consulting projects with: Schneider Electric, 4P Foods, Hyde, MAXSA Innovations, and Future Acres Urban Farming.聽聽

Because of the partnership building done by Bellos and others at George Mason, this course offers an excellent experiential learning opportunity where students help real companies, gaining insight from the executives in the process. 鈥淚t was an exceptional opportunity to mentor MBA students from George Mason鈥檚 Environmentally Sustainable Operations course,鈥� says Kevin DeLeon, program manager of sustainability business at Schneider Electric. 鈥淲e were excited to participate and offer students a glimpse into the practical aspect of driving sustainable improvements. This collaboration is a reflection of Schneider Electric鈥檚 mission to champion sustainability and our commitment to engaging and educating future leaders.鈥�聽

MBA students Rachel Edwards and Jordan Heisen had previously participated in the Global Residency program at the Costello College of Business, where they visited Sweden and Denmark to meet with businesses in the sustainability field, sparking both of their interests in the subject. For their sustainable operations project, they joined fellow MBA student Dominic Leone to work with Hyde, a Washington, D.C., based company pioneering AI-driven solutions to combat excess inventory in the apparel industry. The three of them worked closely with Hyde representatives to examine ways they could make their practices more sustainable.

鈥淎pparel clothing discarded in landfills is now visible from space,鈥� says Sabrena Snow, Hyde鈥檚 vice president of partnerships and sustainability. 鈥淲e began working with the Costello College of Business to really quantify the impact of excess inventory, and its disposal, on the environment.鈥�

The team of Costello MBA students examined Hyde鈥檚 business practices to see how they could best help them.

鈥淎 lot of companies are pumping out new fashion trends,鈥� says Leone. 鈥淚f that trend is going to continue, how can we do it in a more sustainable way where we don鈥檛 overorder and have a crazy amount of excess inventory?鈥�

Once a week, the team met with CEO Rahul Jindal and Snow. 鈥淕oing through the paper with Hyde and hearing the feedback from both representatives, they were an incredible pleasure to work with,鈥� says Heisen.

鈥淏y building a framework, and combining our EPA data, company interviews, and Hyde's proprietary data, the George Mason team was able to size the impact of producing and dumping excess apparel inventory in the United States,鈥� says Snow.鈥�

The Hyde representatives took it a step further and connected the students with high-profile contacts from the fashion industry鈥檚 sustainability field. 鈥淲hen we started this project, Hyde was trying to get partners and funding,鈥� says Edwards. 鈥淏eing able to attach this white paper to any sort of funding that they鈥檙e trying to get later, this is their documentation of what鈥檚 going on.鈥�聽

One of the community partners who worked to recruit participating companies for the course was Fairfax County Government鈥檚 Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination. 鈥淲hen we were approached about working with Professor Bellos, it seemed like a perfect opportunity for companies in our Green Business Partners program,鈥� says Gina Weil, co-manager of the Green Business Partners program. 鈥淲e know that green business is good business, and helping businesses identify both the economic and environmental benefits to adopting sustainable practices is central to our mission.鈥� We were thrilled to be able to connect his students with Future Acres Urban Farming, and we know the experience for the students and the company was incredibly positive and beneficial for both.鈥�聽The mission of the Green Business Partners program is to support Fairfax County businesses in creating a carbon neutral economy through collaboration and learning opportunities that advance climate action.

Students with guest speaker Ian Gayman,
MBA '23 (Partner at Environmental
Resources Management)

Though there was more to the course than this collaborative project, the experiential aspect brought the learning experience full circle. Bellos worked closely with the company representatives to ensure that their organizations got the most out of the projects.

Heisen appreciated how he explained case studies in the classroom. 鈥淗e does a really great job of breaking down each case and ultimately getting you to thinking of another perspective,鈥� he says. Sustainable operations lead to profit, says Edwards,聽鈥淯nless it鈥檚 actually making money and it鈥檚 financially viable, there鈥檚 no reason for a company to do it.鈥� 聽

Recently, 68% of all prospective graduate students surveyed by the Graduate Management Admission Council said that sustainability is important or very important to them. This course is in direct response to this increasing market need.

If you want to learn more about how you can become a business leader with a sustainability mindset, please learn more about the Costello College of Business MBA program.聽聽

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Costello College of Business

Sustainability

experiential learning

Students

innovative classes

impact fall 2024

Learn more about the Costello MBA Program

In This Story

Ioannis Bellos

Mason alumna named Business Person of the Year by Virginia Business

Colleen Rich — Mon, 26 Feb 2024 16:10:44 +0000

Mason alumna named Business Person of the Year by Virginia Business Colleen Rich Mon, 02/26/2024 - 11:10

Kristen Cavallo already had an undergraduate degree in business under her belt, but she knew she needed additional knowledge and skills to truly get ahead in the field. 鈥淚 wanted to make sure I focused on a different concentration so my additional schooling wouldn鈥檛 feel redundant but would feel cumulative or additive,鈥� she said. 鈥淪o I focused more on the math side.鈥�

Kristen Cavallo. Photo provided

As it happened, the Master of Business Administration Program at George Mason 麻豆国产鈥檚 Costello College of Business featured a math-intensive concentration in decisions sciences and statistics, ideal for her needs. She earned her MBA in 1992.

Flash forward to three decades later: In 2023, Cavallo was CEO of two major advertising and marketing firms and was named the Virginia Business Magazine Business Person of 2023, a distinction that recognizes her achievements in growing companies while emphasizing diversity in leadership.

For the past six years, Cavallo has been CEO of the Richmond, Virginia-based Martin Agency which represents name brands including Geico, DoorDash, CarMax, Papa Johns, and any number of instantly recognizable products and services. In November 2022, Cavallo became CEO of London-based MullenLowe Global, an international marketing and communications network that is owned by a parent holding company with Martin, Interpublic Group of Cos.

That had Cavallo leading some 5,000 employees in 13 countries, with 400 of them in Richmond.

While the award took her by surprise, it鈥檚 not the first time her work has been recognized by industry leaders. The Martin Agency鈥攄id you see their OREO cookie 鈥渢wist on it鈥� spot during the Super Bowl?鈥攈as been named Agency of the Year three times by Adweek magazine; in 2019 Cavallo was Ad Age鈥檚 Executive of the Year.

Cavallo was CEO of the Martin Agency, which represents name brands including Geico, DoorDash, CarMax, Papa Johns, and any number of instantly recognizable products and services. Photo provided

鈥淕rowth is our shield,鈥� Cavallo said of her business strategy. 鈥淚 spend a lot of time talking about growth and determining what businesses we go after and what we don鈥檛.鈥�

Something must be working: Martin鈥檚 topline revenue increased by 50% under Cavallo鈥檚 leadership.

As she grew the profit line, she also diversified the corporate leadership, bringing in Danny Robinson as the agency鈥檚 first Black chief creative officer to a leadership team that is 鈥�35-40% people of color,鈥� she said, and assuring 鈥渁 pretty even split of male and female leaders.鈥� Robinson was named CEO of Martin in January 2024.

The diversity, she said, 鈥渉as been part of my strategy. I believe diverse leadership teams produce higher morale, higher revenue, higher margins, higher employee participation. And it鈥檚 proven to be true.鈥�

As it happens, Cavallo is just one in a family with deep Mason ties. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the one school all three of us have in common,鈥� she said of her siblings. 鈥淚t kind of ties us all together.鈥�

One of her brothers, Mike Pflugrath, has a MEd in education leadership from Mason and, since 2019, has been principal of Osborn High School in Manassas; the former Virginia assistant principal of the year has worked with Mason to become partners in the Direct Admissions Program.

Cavallo said the program is 鈥渞eally is a statement about George Mason and their collaboration to really get the best out of students today from all walks of life, and I know my brother appreciates it enormously.鈥�

Brother Pete Pflugrath earned his MS in software systems engineering and is now executive vice president of federal contractor ARServices. His wife, Clara Hauth, is a Mason PhD grad in Educational Leadership/Special Education, His daughter, Lauren Pflugrath, earned her law degree from Mason, and Lauren's husband, Bill Boyle, has a Mason master鈥檚 degree in accounting.

鈥淲e come from a family of educators,鈥� Cavallo said. 鈥淓ducation has always been a priority in our family, and George Mason is the common link with most of us.鈥�

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MBA military veterans share how the Mason MBA impacted their careers

Marianne Klinker — Thu, 09 Nov 2023 20:01:54 +0000

MBA military veterans share how the Mason MBA impacted their careers Marianne Klinker Thu, 11/09/2023 - 15:01

The Donald G. Costello College of Business at George Mason 麻豆国产 is committed to the active-duty military service members and veterans who come to Mason to enhance their education.

We caught up with some military veterans who recently graduated from the Mason MBA program who shared the impact the MBA program has had on their career already, and how the Mason MBA could be beneficial for others.

Matthew Scott

Matthew Scott, MBA 鈥�21聽

Military Branch: United States Army鈥�
Current Role: Acquisition Modernization Program Manager, Defense Logistics Agency

Earning an MBA from George Mason 麻豆国产 assisted with my transition from military to civilian life. The comprehensive management and technical skills acquired during my MBA journey significantly contributed to my hiring as the new Acquisition Modernization Program Manager for the Defense Logistics Agency.鈥€�

I believe one of the most valuable factors in gaining an MBA from Mason is expanding your real-time knowledge basis in critical areas to further develop and achieve current strategic goals while concurrently orchestrating future value in an ever-changing world.鈥�

Matt Munsch

Matt Munsch, MBA 鈥�22

Military Branch: United States Air Force鈥�
Current Role:聽Director, Dark Wolf Solutions鈥�

After graduating from Mason's MBA program, I was able to enter the next phase of my career.鈥€�

Shortly after graduating, I joined Google as a Technical Program Manager. After learning and growing with Google, I was able to continue propelling my career forward, joining Dark Wolf Solutions as a Director.鈥�

The Mason MBA program gave me the skills, qualifications, and confidence to continue up leveling my career. Going back to school after more than a decade in the workforce was daunting but I do not regret my decision!鈥�

Bradley B. Son

Bradley B. Son, MBA 鈥�21聽

Military Branch: United States Army鈥�
Current Role:聽Product Manager, Cyber Platforms & Systems, Defensive Cyber Operations, United States Army鈥�

For myself, the MBA was more than career progression and networking. The aspect of my job in the Army Acquisition Corps requires me to fundamentally understand the aspects of business management to make decisions not only on behalf of my organization, but for the Army and the Department of Defense. My experience at George Mason 麻豆国产 greatly assisted me in many facets of my profession, which includes leadership, ethics, economics, marketing, information systems and operations management, project management, and many more! I can't thank the incredible organization, my outstanding cohort, and more importantly, the incredible instructors that helped guide me throughout my journey!聽

John Goetchius

John Goetchius, MBA 鈥�21鈥�

Military Branch: United States Army, Retired鈥�
Current Role:聽Company Manager鈥�

The Mason MBA program imparted new, useful technical and analytical skills鈥攁nd the confidence to solve current, real-world business and management problems.鈥疘 benefited from contact with an engaged, dedicated, highly competent faculty and a smart, diverse group of fellow students.鈥疘nside a well-planned curriculum, I found the program challenging鈥攁nd deeply rewarding.鈥�

Connor Mallon

Connor Mallon, MBA 鈥�23鈥�

Military Branch: United States Army鈥�
Current Role:聽Strategy Consultant, NOVACES鈥�

An MBA and the skillset that accompanied the degree helped me stand out in a saturated and competitive market. The program gave me the edge I needed to hit the ground running in a new career and the confidence to navigate complex challenges and demanding stakeholders.鈥�

聽

Ramon Walker

Ramon Walker, Jr., MBA 鈥�23鈥�

Military Branch: United States Air Force 鈥�
Current Role:聽Intelligence Research Specialist, United States Custom and Border Protection鈥�

The Mason MBA program gave me an opportunity to network and I gained experience and skills that could be applied to reaching the upper echelons of my career field.鈥�

聽

Douglas Chapman

聽Douglas Chapman, MBA 鈥�22鈥�

Military Branch:聽United States Army鈥�
Current Role:聽Vice President of Operations, CoreSys Consulting Services, LLC鈥�

The MBA program at Mason enabled me to improve my business skills and expanded my aperture as related to strategic thinking.鈥€€�

聽

Did you know George Mason 麻豆国产 is a Yellow Ribbon Participant?聽Mason provides additional funds to eligible service members to pay education costs without charging your GI Bill庐 entitlement. Visit Mason's Office of Military Services to learn more about education benefits for veterans.聽

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Meet the Mason Nation: John Tyree

Sarah Holland — Thu, 20 Jul 2023 19:16:52 +0000

Meet the Mason Nation: John Tyree Sarah Holland Thu, 07/20/2023 - 15:16

John Tyree

Job: Consultant, 麻豆国产 Business Consulting

John Tyree is a two-time Mason alum and current staff member in 麻豆国产 Business Consulting. Photo provided.聽

John Tyree is one of Mason鈥檚麻豆国产 Business Consulting (UBC) consultants. The university launched UBC in 2020 to help Mason offices reach their goals through increased efficiency, data insights, and capitalizing on opportunities for innovation. Tyree started working at Mason in 2019, but his connection to the Mason Nation dates back to 2010 when he started working on his bachelor鈥檚 degree in information systems and operations management. Since then, he has added an MBA聽and a graduate certificate in business analytics to his resume.

Understanding the 鈥榃HY鈥�. After graduating from Mason with a BS in in 2013, Tyree returned to Mason as an IT manager. He was inspired to pursue his MBA to, 鈥渂etter understand the 鈥榳hy鈥� of business processes I was supporting as an IT professional. I am able to use the business skills I learned to approach challenges from a higher strategic level.鈥� The move to business consulting, in tandem with his completion of the MBA program, was an opportunity to 鈥渞ound out my business acumen. I鈥檓 able to better see how departments interconnect and serve a common mission. And the skills I gained through the MBA program鈥攕uch as identifying deficiencies in processes and creating improvements鈥攈ave served me well in my role as a consultant for the university.鈥� 聽

Lessons abroad. The MBA program allowed Tyree to expand his horizons not only through a new career path, but also through experiences abroad. 鈥�The most memorable class I took in the MBA program was the Global Residency course,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e traveled to Singapore to learn from various businesses about operating in a global market. We were able to talk with senior leadership and learn the similarities and key differences about conducting business in different parts of the world.鈥� Tyree and his fellow students also had the opportunity to take guided tours and attend cultural dinners to learn about the country. 鈥淭he whole experience was a great way to bond with my cohort as well as obtain a global prospective as I continue my business career,鈥� Tyree said.

Part of the process. In his work with UBC, Tyree has the opportunity to see how processes and departments function across the university and, using his expertise in business analytics, he helps them find more efficient and effective ways of operating. 鈥淢y work is focused on gathering and synthesizing information for our clients so they can make informed decisions on improving departmental organization and efficiencies,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 do this through various means including executive reports, data analysis and visualization, benchmarking, and general project management.鈥澛� 聽

Helping Mason succeed. 鈥淐onsulting鈥� is a broad term, encompassing everything from project management to data visualizations to business planning. Some of UBC's projects include implementing the university's new Strategic Direction and designing key performance indicators (KPIs) and dashboards to measure its progress; coordinating with multiple offices to design, implement, and manage the university's COVID-19 response; and saving the university $1.7M in transportation costs by analyzing shuttle ridership post-pandemic. And at no cost to Mason units鈥攜es, this service is complimentary!鈥攖his work is critical to supporting Mason鈥檚 mission and helping others do the same.

Macy the golden doodle showing off her Patriot pride. Photo provided.

Puppy love. Tyree is an avid outdoorsman. From roads and trails to rivers and lakes, he cycles and kayaks through state and national parks. And while the great outdoors holds a special place in his heart, his one-year-old golden doodle is his greatest treasure. Macy, named after Mason, walks around her namesake campus with Tyree. 鈥淪he gets to greet lots of students,鈥� Tyree said, which bodes well for her future application to Mason in approximately two to three years (which is 16 to 24 in dog years!).

Patriots brave and bold! With two Mason degrees and an ongoing career at the university, it鈥檚 no wonder that Tyree bleeds green and gold. Over a decade since he began his journey at Mason, Tyree still loves to cheer on Mason basketball. "I've been attending games since 2010. I still root for the green and gold at EagleBank Arena any chance I get!鈥�

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Faculty and Staff News

MBA alumnus establishes the Michael S. VanPatten Family Endowed Scholarship

Jennifer Anzaldi — Tue, 01 Nov 2022 15:24:39 +0000

MBA alumnus establishes the Michael S. VanPatten Family Endowed Scholarship Jennifer Anzaldi Tue, 11/01/2022 - 11:24

Michael S. VanPatten

Despite living and working in the Atlanta metropolitan area, Michael VanPatten, MBA 鈥�90, never lost touch with Mason. Immediately receptive to post-graduation calls from the alumni relations team, he was eager to connect with alumni and assist students in attaining an MBA. The positive experience he had at Mason, with instructors who had working knowledge in the areas they were teaching, encouraged his continued engagement. 鈥淥ne of my awesome professors who really stood out was Raphael Coleman, and he was dean at the time, which made it even more special,鈥� he says.

As the chief financial officer at True Influence (now part of Anteriad), VanPatten reflects on how instructors in the MBA program went out of their way to give students a leg up. 鈥淎nother professor who really helped me was Raj Sisodia who taught marketing,鈥� he says. 鈥淗e shared my paper 鈥楢 Normative Conceptual Model for Marketing Technology-Centered Products鈥� with acclaimed marketing authors, Al Ries and Jack Trout, and they shared immensely positive feedback with me.鈥� The result was an 鈥淎鈥� in the course, but more importantly it gave him exposure and confidence in his skills at a high level. The finance portion of the program prepared VanPatten exceptionally well, and he was excited that he could build upon his background in calculus. 鈥淭ools from those finance classes have since helped me convince investors to buy into new programs,鈥� he says.

VanPatten鈥檚 zeal for Mason is demonstrated by his communication with students and graduates, establishing his own scholarship, and his participation in a number of Mason alumni get-togethers in the Atlanta area. With the Michael S. VanPatten Family Endowed Scholarship recently established, he is excited to witness the effects it will have on recipients. Working with Carolina Camargo De Luca, the major gifts officer at the School of Business, he was able to lend support to the program in a personal way that fit him best, providing support to high-performing MBA students who have completed two courses in the program.

鈥淭hroughout my education I received help from many people, including employers, and I think it鈥檚 really important that I give back as well,鈥� he says. Recognized as a Prominent Patriot in 2020, Michael VanPatten is a sterling example of how graduation only marks the beginning of the journey as a Patriot. Soon, MBA students will begin benefitting from his scholarship and author their own stories of success.

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