In this episode of Bearcats Mean Business, Lindner assistant professor-educator Steven Jones and Lindner senior Ryan Baillie explore the world of project management — from classroom lessons to real-world leadership. 

Jones, who enjoyed a successful career in project management before joining Lindner, shares how the college is preparing students to manage complex projects across industries through its operations management program. Baillie, a triple major and president of the UC Project Management Club, offers a student perspective on how experiential learning and involvement at Lindner have shaped his professional goals. 

The conversation also previews “Crafting the Future: Business AI Success Strategies,” a summit hosted by the Southwest Ohio and Dayton/Miami Valley chapters of Project Management Institute at the Lindner College of Business on Nov. 8. Whether you’re a student curious about project management or a professional looking to enhance your skills, this episode offers valuable insights into building a foundation for success.

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About the Carl H. Lindner College of Business

At the Carl H. Lindner College of Business, our mission is to empower business problem solvers to tackle the world’s challenges.

We fuel professional growth through our distinctive combination of academic and hands-on experiences: our problem-solving mindset, cooperative education, flexible pathways, dynamic and supportive community, and vibrant, urban setting.

Begin your business problem-solving journey today.

Co-produced and hosted by Lindner student Mirsayah Wasnuk, Sustainability in Business: A Bearcats Mean Business Student Series, explores the connection between sustainability and key areas of business, while offering students practical insights on how to integrate sustainable thinking into their career paths. 

In the debut episode of this four-part series, Mirsayah sits down with Lindner graduate Ben Booker, co-founder of Net Impact UC and current team member at the 1819 Innovation Hub and the Center for Entrepreneurship.

The entrepreneur and consultant reflects on his journey into sustainability, the role of campus involvement in shaping his career, and why sustainability is a vital component of business learning today.

What can students learn from the real-world use of AI and analytics in business? In this episode of Bearcats Mean Business, Matt Booher, Vice President of Data Solutions at EW Scripps Company, shares how he built his career in analytics, how Scripps is leveraging AI to shape the future of media, and the challenges that come with innovation.  

Matt also offers advice for Lindner students seeking to enhance their skillset for a data-driven career. Plus, he previews his upcoming talk at the Center for Business Analytics’ Data Science Symposium on Oct. 9, where students, faculty, and industry leaders will explore how analytics and AI are reshaping the future of business. 

Register for the Data Science Symposium today.

Ever wonder what it’s like to co-op at Google? In this episode of Bearcats Mean Business, Lindner student Bitanya Derese shares how she landed her role at one of the world’s most influential companies and what her day-to-day looked like inside Google. 

The Lindner Business Honors student and marketing major also reflected on the lessons she brought back to Lindner/UC, how her Lindner experiences prepared her for co-op success, and her advice for fellow students dreaming big. 

Bitanya also opened up about her inspiring background, moving from Ethiopia to the U.S. as a child, and her ongoing efforts to give back to her home country. 

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Cooperative education, or co-op, empowers students to tackle real-world problems, learning-by-doing and putting theory into practice via paid, professional experiences with the Lindner College of Business’ hundreds of employer partners. Co-ops help students gain the skills, confidence and connections to launch their business careers. Students and employers customize co-op experiences with several options, including full-time, part-time and project-based engagements. 

Every Bearcat has a story — and Bobby Schuckmann’s shows the power of persistence, focus, and seizing opportunities. 

From an unpaid, three-hour-commute co-op with the Indiana Pacers/Fever to his current role as Managing Director & Senior Wealth Advisor at Truist Wealth Sports & Entertainment Group, Bobby turned a bold dream into a lasting career. 

Tune in to hear Bobby’s lessons on resilience, the mindset it takes to break into competitive industries, and why Lindner’s co-op model can truly be the foundation for success.

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Co-op at Lindner 

Each semester, Lindner undergraduate students can register for paid co-operative education (co-op) work engagements, similar to signing up for courses. Students and employers customize co-op experiences with several flexible options, including full-time, part-time and project-based engagements. 

Reza Yazdian, JD, a proud Lindner alum and founder of Synchrocare, has never been afraid to break new ground. He also possesses some trademark Lindner and Bearcat grit. In this episode, Reza shares: 

*How Lindner and UC shaped his approach to problem-solving 

*How he created a co-op with Airborne Express 

*Lessons on taking risks and moving from concept to launch 

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Chapters

0:54 – Experiences and lessons at Lindner/UC that impacted his business and leadership journey 

2:00 – Reza's unique co-op with Airborne Express 

4:30 – The business problem Reza is trying to solve with Synchrocare 

8:10 – Advice for current students exploring entrepreneurial endeavors — how to get from conception to launch 

10:38 – Starting a big business initiative 

15:20 – The leadership soft and hard skills Reza looks for in new hires. 

18:15 – Reza’s current and future plans for giving back 

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Co-op at Lindner 

Each semester, Lindner undergraduate students can register for paid co-operative education work engagements, similar to signing up for courses. Lindner Career Services helps place students for co-ops that fit their specific interests and programs of choice. The number of co-op experiences required for graduation varies for first-year, transfer and Lindner Business Honors students. Students and employers customize co-op experiences with several flexible options, including full-time, part-time and project-based engagements. 

How do you go from a co-op student to president & CTO at the same company? 

Lindner alum Nick Enger reflects on landing his first co-op at Advanced Technology Consulting, the hard and soft skills he learned as a co-op that he still uses today, and the long game of earning trust, navigating setbacks and growing into executive leadership. 

If you're a student dreaming of the C-suite — or an alum curious about the long-term value of co-op — this episode delivers insight, humility and plenty of practical advice. 

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Chapters

1:04 – Nick's co-op search process & how he landed with Advanced Technology Consulting 

4:14 – Nick's “this is my future” moment during his co-op with ATC 

5:57 – Day-to-day changes now that Nick is CTO and president of ATC 

7:16 – Tips for students seeking to emulate Nick’s co-op to C-suite path 

8:02 – Hard and soft skills acquired during his co-op that he still uses today 

9:17 – Gaining trust and credibility as a young professional 

10:15 – Nick’s bumps in the road to the C-suite 

11:25 – What to know about a C-suite positions 

12:29 – How Nick’s community involvement affects his leadership 

13:53 – How Nick’s definition of success has changed over the years 

15:05 – Rapid-fire questions 

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Co-op at Lindner 

Each semester, Lindner undergraduate students can register for paid co-operative education work engagements, similar to signing up for courses. The number of co-op experiences required for graduation varies for ⁠first-year⁠, ⁠transfer⁠ and ⁠Lindner Business Honors⁠ students. Students and employers customize co-op experiences with several flexible options, including full-time, part-time and project-based engagements.

What does the future of higher education look like — and how is the Lindner College of Business leading the way through co-op and real-world learning? 

In this episode, Dean Marianne Lewis shares her bold vision for higher ed, addresses the shifting perceptions of value among students and families, and explains why Lindner’s co-op model goes far beyond resume building. From student success stories to reimagining the academic mindset, this conversation explores how experiential learning is reshaping the business school experience.

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In this episode/Timestamps 

0:44 – What Dean Lewis sees as the future of higher education 

2:34 – Do students and parents still believe in the value of higher education? 

7:29 – What are today’s business schools missing + why co-op at Lindner/UC is different 

11:01 – What makes co-op at Lindner more than a resume booster + co-op's “beautiful circle” 

16:08 – Student exemplars of co-op theory meeting co-op practice 

19:05 – Why don’t more schools embrace co-op? 

20:52 – If I were a parent or a student, why should I choose Lindner? 

24:21 – If you could redesign higher ed from scratch, where would you start? 

29:04 – Do academic mindsets need to change? 

30:17 – How do we rebuild the trust in higher education – or keep the trust that we still have? 

32:32 – What motivates Dean Lewis to be a leader in higher education? 

33:21 – What's one bold move business schools should make?

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Co-op at Lindner 

Each semester, Lindner undergraduate students can register for paid co-operative education work engagements, similar to signing up for courses. Lindner Career Services helps place students for co-ops that fit their specific interests and programs of choice. The number of co-op experiences required for graduation varies for first-year, transfer and Lindner Business Honors students. Students and employers customize co-op experiences with several flexible options, including full-time, part-time and project-based engagements. 

How does a co-op experience turn into a full-time opportunity? On this episode of Bearcats Mean Business, 2024 Lindner grad Benjamin Seid shares how his time at UC — and particularly his co-ops — equipped him with the hard and soft skills to thrive in the professional world. 

Benjamin talks about landing his role at Triversity Construction, working with Lindner Career Services, and navigating the transition from UC Blue Ash to main campus. Whether you’re a current student or recent grad, Benjamin’s story is filled with transferable advice and inspiration. 

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Timestamps

1:04 – The process of landing a co-op 

4:12 – Hard and soft skills learned while on co-op 

6:14 – How co-op prepared him for his full-time role 

7:46 – What to gain from working with Lindner Career Services 

10:01 – Landing his job at Triversity 

13:49 – Life as a transition student from UC Blue Ash 

15:37 – Overall advice for Lindner and UC students 

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Co-op at Lindner 

Each semester, Lindner undergraduate students can register for paid co-operative education work engagements, similar to signing up for courses.

Lindner Career Services helps place students for co-ops that fit their specific interests and programs of choice. The number of co-op experiences required for graduation varies for first-year, transfer and Lindner Business Honors students.

Students and employers customize co-op experiences with several flexible options, including full-time, part-time and project-based engagements. 

In this episode of Bearcats Mean Business, Lindner graduate Rachael Spoon talks about: 

*Aiming to “revolutionize the wedding industry” with her wedding planning business, Rae & Co. + plans for her one-of-kind venue.

*Key mentors, including a Lindner academic advisor who let Rachael plan her wedding.

*Overcoming doubt + why failure is a necessary part of success.

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Timestamps