In this episode of the podcast, we welcome back an old friend, Director of Admissions Catie Yeilding. In this episode we talk with Catie about a wide range of topics, from her recent favorite podcast and college football to application tips and the Darden interview. Catie shares insights for applicants targeting Darden’s Full-Time MBA Round 2 application deadline. Essential listening.

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Olivia Pavco-Giaccia. Olivia is a second year student in the Full-Time MBA Class of 2022, and prior to arriving at Darden, she founded and ran a social enterprise, LabCandy, focused on breaking down gender barriers and educating young girls in STEM. We talk with her about her background in science and how she decided to pursue an MBA. Olivia is also the President of the Community Consultant of Darden student organization, and she shares insights about the club’s work and what the group has planned for the months ahead. Essential listening.

In this special edition of the Darden Admissions podcasts, we share the ninth installment in our ongoing ‘Office Hours’ faculty spotlight series, a conversation with Professor Casey Lichtendahl. Lichtendahl is a member of the Quantitative Analysis faculty and Co-Academic Director for the MS in Business Analytics program. He is also a Darden alumnus, and in this wide-ranging conversation, we talk with Lichtendahl about his background in the beverage industry, how a Quantitative Analysis course with Robert Carraway sparked his passion for data and changed his life, his recent work forecasting for Google, what it’s like to teach at Darden as an alumnus, why he feels the Darden learning environment is truly special and much more. Essential listening.

In this special edition of the Darden Admissions podcasts, we share the seventh installment in our ongoing ‘Office Hours’ faculty spotlight series, a conversation with Professor Dan Murphy. Murphy is a member of the Global Economies and Market, and during this wide-ranging conversation, he touches upon everything from growing up in Denver and his twin passions for policy and economics to affordable housing and his favorite book of all-time.

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Shuai Yao (Class of 2023). Shuai reflects upon her personal story, including relocating from China to the Washington and launching her own global social media talk show on which she interviewed passengers she picked up while driving for Lyft. Shuai also shares insights from her first couple quarters at Darden, including how her Learning Team has become another family for her and her fellow teammates.

In this special edition of the Darden Admissions podcasts, we recap the recent Darden Diversity Conference! This year’s conference was hosted virtually, and it marked the fourth occasion of this annual event. We catch up with two students who served on the Diversity Conference planning committee – Full-Time MBA student Khaliyah Legette (Class of 2022) and Executive MBA student Chi Lo (Class of 2022) – to talk about this year’s conference, the planning and preparation that went into the two-day affair, why diversity matters at Darden and more.

This weekend marks the occasion of Darden’s annual Diversity Conference! In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Natalia Alvarez Diaz. Natalia is a second year student in the Full-Time MBA Class of 2022, and she is also the President of the Graduate Women in Business (GWIB) club. In this wide-ranging conversation, Natalia reflects on a host of topics, ranging from her MBA journey and what led her to Darden to her passion for social justice and how community engagement has enriched her business school experience.

In this episode, we catch up with Second Year Full-Time MBA students Alex Goodman (Class of 2022) and Bridget Coburn (Class of 2022) to talk about plans for this year’s Graduate Women in Business (GWIB) Conference. Alex and Bridget also reflect upon their respective MBA journeys, what GWIB has meant to them during their time at Darden and what led them to serve on the GWIB Board as Vice Presidents of Conference.

In this episode of the podcast, we continue our spotlight on student founders with a conversation with Josh Rombach (Class of 2022). Josh has recently launched a business focused on bringing piquette wine to the masses, Piiq. What is “piquette”? As the Piiq website notes, piquette dates back to Roman times, and it is an effervescent, sparkling wine. We talk with Josh about Piiq’s origins, how the Batten Institute and the Darden community have helped him in the early days of his venture and how Piiq is navigating the pandemic. Josh also offers reflections on his decision to pursue an MBA, what led him to Darden and more.

In this special edition of the Darden Admissions podcasts, we share the seventh installment in our ongoing ‘Office Hours’ faculty spotlight series, a conversation with Professor Ed Freeman. Freeman is a member of the Strategy, Ethics and Entrepreneurship faculty, and an academic director for UVA Darden’s Institute for Business in Society. We talk with Freeman and his background in philosophy, his work on stakeholder theory, and why we need a new story about business. Freeman also discusses his recent documentary, Fishing With Dynamite, as well as his new podcast, The Stakeholder Podcast. He also shares his top five “desert island” albums. Essential listening.