Experience Darden

Did you know that Darden has re-launched its PhD program? In honor of the occasion, we will be sharing interviews with Darden PhD program alums on the podcast in the coming weeks, and first up is Jeff York (PhD ’09). York is a Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship at the University of Colorado Boulder Leeds School of Business, and he currently serves as the Chair of the Division of Social Responsibility and Sustainability (SRS) Research Director for the School’s Deming Center for Entrepreneurship. In this podcast, we talk with York about his decision to pursue a PhD, what led him to Darden, and what he has been up to since his time in Charlottesville. This conversation is highly recommended for anyone interested in climate change, sustainability and green technologies.

In this special edition of the Darden Admissions podcast, we catch up with Senior Assistant Dean of Admissions, Dawna Clarke, to reflect on a truly historic opening week for the Darden School of Business. On Monday, 15 August, for the first time in the history of the School, we welcomed Full-Time MBA, Part-Time MBA, and Executive MBA students to grounds for the start of school. In this episode, we discuss key data points for each of these classes and look ahead to a busy fall for the Admissions team, including upcoming deadlines, the annual Diversity Conference, a Women’s Leadership Symposium in Rosslyn and more.

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.

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.

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.

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.  

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.

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.

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.

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.