The ExecMBA Podcast

In this episode of the podcast, we spotlight UVA’s MS in Business Analytics (MSBA) program with a conversation with Jingjing Li. Li is the Andersen Alumni Associate Professor of Commerce at UVA’s McIntire School of Commerce, and she also serves as one of the Directors of the MSBA program. Li’s research interests are in artificial intelligence and big data analytics, with applications spanning search engines, healthcare, marketing, platforms, and public policy. In this wide-ranging conversation, we talk with Li about her role with the MSBA program, her thoughts on the value and impact of the MSBA curriculum, her interest in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and more. This episode is essential listening for anyone considering UVA’s MSBA program. 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 the co-Presidents of UVA Darden’s Black Professional MBA (BPMBA) student organization, Steven Daley, Cedric Thomas and Sean Webber. We talk with Steven, Cedric and Sean about their backgrounds, what led them to Darden, their plans for the BPMBA student organization 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 Gabrielle “Gabe” Adams. Adams is a behavioral scientist, with a joint appointment as an associate professor of public policy (Batten) and business administration (Darden: Leadership and Organizational Behavior area). She studies the processes and dynamics that give rise to 'good' decisions, policies, and conditions in organizations.  We talk with Adams about her background, what led her to Darden, what she enjoys about teaching through the case method, what makes an effective team, why people default to considering what they might add when improving things 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 Gopika Spaenle. Gopika is the Managing Director, Career Center for UVA Darden’s Professional Degree Programs, and she is a repeat guest on the podcast. We talk with Gopika about the strategies for conducting a network-driven job search, and why this strategy pays dividends for Executive MBA and Part-Time MBA students seeking to make a career transition. 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 podcast, we are excited to share another installment from our ongoing Women@Darden event series featuring Melissa Thomas-Hunt, Senior Associate Dean for the Residential Full-Time MBA program at the UVA Darden School of Business. In this conversation hosted by Senior Assistant Dean of Admissions Dawna Clarke, Thomas-Hunt reflects upon her personal story, her career journey, what she loves about being at Darden, why she’s passionate about engaging with students, what makes Darden’s faculty unique 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 Darden faculty member and Dean and CEO of UVA Northern Virginia, Greg Fairchild. In this conversation, we talk with Greg about the inspiration for UVA Northern Virginia, where things stand with their current plans, their strategy and vision for the road ahead and more. This episode is highly recommended for anyone interested in learning more about UVA and Darden’s efforts in the Washington, DC metro area.

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Megan McGee. Megan is a repeat guest on the Experience Darden podcast, and a member of UVA Darden’s Full-Time MBA Class of 2021. Megan also recently joined Darden’s Batten Institute as the Director of Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA). We recently caught up with Megan to talk about her MBA journey, her interest in ETA, what attracted her to her new role with the Batten Institute, 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 episode of the podcast we catch up with Jason Brewster. Jason is a repeat podcast guest, and he is the Director of Venture Programs for UVA Darden’s Batten Institute for Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Technology. In this wide-ranging conversation, we talk with Jason about his background, the entrepreneurial ecosystem at Darden, the recent iLab incubator cohort, and more. This episode is highly recommended for anyone interested in learning more about venturing at Darden. 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 Danny Holloway. Danny is a second year student in UVA Darden’s Executive MBA Class of 2025, and he is also a Batten Tech scholar. We talk with Danny about his background, his decision to pursue an MBA, what he’s enjoyed about learning through the case method, the benefits of being a Batten scholar 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 Kathleen Morrison. Kathleen is a second year student in UVA Darden’s Executive MBA Class of 2025. We talk with Kathleen about her decision to pursue an MBA, what led her to Darden, balancing work, school and family, her favorite thing about the Executive MBA program so far 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.