In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Dan Levetown. Dan is a recent graduate in Darden’s Full-Time MBA Class of 2026, and we talk with him about his decision to pursue an MBA, what led him to Darden, his cleaning start-up, Refresh Routine, his favorite courses at Darden, his recommendations for things to do in Charlottesville and more. For more insights, tips, and stories about the Darden experience, be sure to check out the Discover Darden Admissions blog and follow us on Instagram @dardenmba. 

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Julia Boyer. Julia a student in Darden’s Full-Time MBA Class of 2027, and she has a number of leadership roles – VP of Finance, Consulting Club, VP of Women’s Engagement, Golf Club, VP of Career and Alumni Engagement, Graduate Women in Business (GWIB), and Forte Ambassador. We talk with Julia about her background, her decision to pursue an MBA, what motivated her to take on leadership roles during her second year, her recommendations for visitors to Charlottesville and more. For more insights, tips, and stories about the Darden experience, be sure to check out the Discover Darden Admissions blog and follow us on Instagram @dardenmba. 

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Alem Bello. Alem is a student in Darden’s Full-Time MBA Class of 2027, and he is also the Admissions representative for the Darden African Business Organization (DABO). We talk with Alem about his decision to pursue an MBA, coming to the U.S. to study at Darden, the role DABO played in his MBA research process, what he’s enjoyed about life in Charlottesville, his plans for the summer and more. For more insights, tips, and stories about the Darden experience, be sure to check out the Discover Darden Admissions blog and follow us on Instagram @dardenmba. 

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Hannah Cho. Hannah is a student in our Full-Time MBA Class of 2027, and she is the President of Darden’s Marketing and General Management Club. We talk with Hannah about her background in the beauty industry, her decision to pursue an MBA, her plans for this summer, what she’s looking forward to in her second year and more. For more insights, tips, and stories about the Darden experience, be sure to check out the Discover Darden Admissions blog and follow us on Instagram @dardenmba. 

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Kelly Okun. Kelly is a graduate in Darden’s Full-Time MBA Class of 2025, and she is currently running her venture, Fairway to Green, an equitable media company covering the worlds of men’s and women’s golf. We talk with Kelly with what’s she been up to since graduating, winning the Kathryne Carr award for Entrepreneurial Excellence, how Fairway to Green has grown since her time in Charlottesville, what she’s looking forward to in the months ahead and more. For more insights, tips, and stories about the Darden experience, be sure to check out the Discover Darden Admissions blog and follow us on Instagram @dardenmba.

In this special edition of the Darden Admissions podcast, we share a recent installment in our ongoing ‘Office Hours’ faculty spotlight series, a conversation with Professor Anthony Palomba. Palomba is a member of the Data Analytics Decision Sciences faculty area at Darden, and he teaches Data Storytelling and Media & Entertainment Business to MBA, MSBA, and Executive MBA students. A media scholar specializing in machine learning, causal inference, and applied econometrics, Palomba explores how audiences engage with entertainment content and how technology is transforming competition across the media, advertising, and gaming industries. Prior to academia, he led research for global media and technology companies including HBO, Facebook, CNN, Fox Sports 1, Sesame Street, and NBCUniversal/Comcast. He continues to consult for GBK Collective, working on projects with primarily FAANG clients. We talk with Palomba about what led him to Darden, the elective courses he teaches at Darden, the storylines he’s following across the media and gaming industries and more. For more insights, tips, and stories about the Darden experience, be sure to check out the Discover Darden Admissions blog and follow us on Instagram @dardenmba. 

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Jingjing Li. Jingjing is an Associate Professor of IT and Innovation at the McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia, and she is also one of the Academic Directors for UVA’s MS in Business Analytics (MSBA) program. We talk with Jingjing about Module 4, the module she leads in the MSBA program, how the program is incorporating AI into the curriculum, how the program stays relevant in a rapidly evolving landscape and more. For more insights, tips, and stories about the Darden experience, be sure to check out the Discover Darden Admissions blog and follow us on Instagram @dardenmba.

In this special edition of the Darden Admissions podcast, we share a recent installment in our ongoing ‘Office Hours’ faculty spotlight series, a conversation with Professor Rory McDonald. McDonald’s research focuses on how firms compete and innovate effectively in new technology-enabled markets. Drawing on a mix of in-depth fieldwork and archival data, he studies how executives develop viable strategies in these contexts and how they obtain resources that improve their chances of success. In this wide-ranging conversation, we talk with McDonald about his background, what led him to Darden, how the Strategy course fits into the Darden core curriculum, his popular electives, “Disruptive Strategy” and “Disruptive Innovation,” his current research interests and more. For more insights, tips, and stories about the Darden experience, be sure to check out the Discover Darden Admissions blog and follow us on Instagram @dardenmba. 

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Blake Dietrick-Siefert. Blake is a student in Darden’s Full-Time MBA Class of 2027, and we talk with her about her background in professional basketball, her decision to pursue an MBA, how her career goals have evolved during her first year, what she’s looking forward to in her second year and more. For more insights, tips, and stories about the Darden experience, be sure to check out the Discover Darden Admissions blog and follow us on Instagram @dardenmba.

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Grace Haffner. Grace is a first year student in Darden’s Full-Time MBA Class of 2027, and she also applied to Darden through the Future Year Scholars program, Darden’s deferred enrollment program for current undergraduates or students in their final year of a masters program who are yet to enter the workforce. We talk with Grace about her decision to pursue an MBA, what led her to Darden, how she figured the right time to go back to school, her plans for the summer ahead and more. For more insights, tips, and stories about the Darden experience, be sure to check out the Discover Darden Admissions blog and follow us on Instagram @dardenmba.