Master's in Management Program

Student Perspective: Mason’s Master’s in Management Program Researchship Experience

Marianne Klinker — Wed, 06 Apr 2022 14:31:15 +0000

Student Perspective: Mason’s Master’s in Management Program Researchship Experience Marianne Klinker Wed, 04/06/2022 - 10:31

Students pursuing a master’s of science in management (MSM) through ��AV’s School of Business cap their program with a four-month internship or researchship. While many know what an internship is, in a researchship, the student acts more like a consultant than an employee.

Over the next four months, we'll will follow MSM student Sarah Menna’s work with Arlington Economic Development (AED) to research Arlington County’s non-profit sector, meet with relevant stakeholders, formulate focus groups, and deliver final recommendations with actionable next steps.

Sarah will be updating this article bi-weekly every Tuesday starting April 12, 2022. Follow this link to get calendar reminders for the latest updates, or bookmark this page. Learn more about Mason's master's in management program here.

Week 16

Hello everyone! We have finally made it to the end of the researchship program! The last sixteen weeks have been full of exciting research and professional development, and looking back, I truly believe that a project of this scale was the perfect way to cap the MSM program.

The past two weeks have been spent crafting and refining my recommendations and developing my final presentation and report. I won’t lie when I say that creating these deliverables have been one of the most intensive professional projects I’ve ever taken on, but seeing the completed products come together have been incredibly rewarding.

My presentation to AED and GMU faculty and staff was held on July 13^th. I really enjoyed the opportunity to present all of my work from the past several months to everyone in attendance, and it was a fantastic ending to the researchship. This presentation was great a learning experience as well. I’ve never presented something of this magnitude, and delivering my findings and fielding questions from the audience was another exercise in professional growth.

Presenting my findings and final recommendations

So much professional development has occurred over the past sixteen weeks, and I can confidently say that I am an entirely different professional than I was when I began. For starters, this is the first time that I have been given full ownership over a project of this size. My previous internships in undergrad have put me more in a support role, but in this researchship with AED, I had the opportunity to develop and execute the project independently. This project greatly grew my interest in work that centers problem-solving, solidifying my desire to do consulting work moving forward. My comfort zone has been challenged throughout this experience. I was required to develop a strategic plan, pivot these plans based on changing circumstances and information, and make connections with external parties to help move the project forward. All of these are skills that I am so glad I now have.

I want to thank everyone who has been following along with this project through my blog posts. I have really appreciated the opportunity to share my experiences with all of you. I also want to thank my supervisor at AED, Susan Soroko, and our graduate career manager, Kimberly Blue, for their guidance throughout this project. And of course, I want to extend thanks to all of the faculty and staff at ��AV who have helped me to learn and grow as a professional over the course of this project and the entire MSM program.

Week 13 and 14

Hi all! Week 14 has come to a close, and the end of the researchship is rapidly approaching. The past several months have flown by, and I am amazed at how much I’ve learned and grown as a professional. This week, I had a great conversation about technology innovation with Brian Scott of ClearTone Consulting, and I’ve begun developing my recommendations and formatting my final report. I cannot wait to present my findings to GMU faculty and the team at AED!

Another day at AED's office

As we near the end of the project, I want to take a moment to reflect on all of the ways that my learning from the MSM program have connected to my work with AED. The diverse range of topics we’ve uncovered in the last eleven months have helped me to connect on a deeper level with a wide variety of professionals. Our IT Management class gave me the background knowledge to understand how cloud computing and cybersecurity can benefit nonprofits. Organizational Behavior has helped me think of ways that nonprofits can support their teams. Accounting and finance have helped me to understand how nonprofits can utilize earned revenue streams as a part of their larger funding strategy. Finally, strategy is giving me the foundational knowledge I need to help formulate useful recommendations.

A project like the researchship has proven to be an incredible way to synthesize information. While learning in a classroom provides a necessary base of knowledge, putting theory to practice with a hands-on project has been critical in helping me to internalize everything I’ve learned. Most of my professional growth in this program I attribute to the opportunity to apply my classroom knowledge to a project with tangible outcomes.

That’s all from me for this week! Be sure to check back two weeks from now as I conclude my researchship with Arlington Economic Development!

Week 11 and 12

Welcome back! We’ve reached Week 12 of the researchship, and the end is in sight. I’m already very excited for my final presentation in a little over a month. My recommendations are starting to take shape, and I’m in the process of rounding out all my findings and developing solutions.

I had three more of my subject matter expert conversations these past two weeks. The more I speak with those who have direct involvement in the sector, the more holistic my knowledge base is becoming. Each of my three interviews gave me new ideas to consider and further leads to explore.

The first of these conversations with Tara Palacios of AED’s BizLaunch office. I was very excited to meet with Tara as this was actually the first of my conversations to be in person! Tara, Susan, and I spoke a lot about resource availability and AED’s past and existing nonprofit programming. One major takeaway I had from our conversation was that nonprofits do not exist in a vacuum; they are part of an entire ecosystem, including small and large businesses and community members, that all work in tandem to better the Arlington community.

My second conversation was with Tom Bartlett of 20 Degrees. Tom’s area of expertise was in nonprofit funding and earned revenue. We talked about how funding has shifting during the global pandemic and how nonprofits can implement innovative funding streams. Tom informed me of a webinar 20 Degrees would be holding soon about how nonprofits can use cryptocurrency as a funding source; I had no idea that this was a funding avenue that nonprofits were starting to explore, and I’m so eager to tune in!

The third conversation I had this week was actually a connection that Steve Blair of Lyceum Insurance (who I spoke to a few weeks ago) helped to make! Steve introduced me to Carin Weiss of Klik Solutions. Carin was kind enough to give me some background of the work that Klik does in the IT and cybersecurity space and tell me about how nonprofits can benefit from IT resources.

I have a few more informational interviews on the calendar and a few more in the works as the project begins to wrap up. I’m ready to soak in as much information as I can from all these subject matter experts as I prepare to make my final recommendations. With all that I am learning, hopefully I am able to make strategy recommendations that can have positive outcomes for local nonprofits!

Week 9 and 10

Hello all! I’ve just wrapped up Week 10 of the researchship, and the past two weeks have been packed with exciting meetings and developments. Let’s dive right in!

This stage of the project involves a lot of meetings with subject matter experts around the Arlington community to better understand, from their perspectives, the problems nonprofits are facing and what resources they need to succeed and further innovate. Not only have these meetings been super helpful in directing my project outcomes specifically to the needs of Arlington County, but they also have helped spur lines of thought that I never considered in my prior research!

Waiting in AED’s office to meet with Sindy Yeh

My first meeting was with Sindy Yeh of AED’s Business Investment Group. Much of Sindy’s expertise surrounded incentives for nonprofit attraction and retention. What stood out to me about our conversation was the need to not only attract nonprofits, but the for-profit businesses that provide support services to nonprofits, like data analytics or production companies. We started brainstorming ways that we could eventually connect nonprofits and associations to companies with relevant support services. I also came out of our conversation with a huge question to explore: How does Arlington County also benefit from supporting nonprofits?

My second meeting was with Steve Blair of Lyceum Insurance. Through his role at Lyceum, Steve interfaces closely with nonprofits in creating plans for risk management and developing employee benefit packages. Much of my conversation with Steve centered around attracting and retaining talent, especially as an increasing number of companies shift to remote or hybrid models. When asked about innovation, Steve highlighted the need to develop innovative benefits packages that can fit the growing diversity of work styles; I’ve never thought of innovation in this way, and I am very glad that Steve addressed this!

With these informational meetings under my belt and several more on the docket for the coming weeks, I am really seeing the pieces of this project coming together. With the input of people like Sindy and Steve, I am thinking of actionable solutions for AED to address nonprofit needs and even considering ways that George Mason students can interface with local nonprofits.

Week 7 and 8

Hello all! I just wrapped up Week 8 of the researchship, and with that, we are officially at the halfway point in the project! I have been thrilled with what I’m finding so far, and I am excited to apply all of this knowledge in finding solutions for the needs of Arlington County nonprofits.

To recap the process so far, I’ve been conducting research regarding how nonprofits have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and what resources they need to succeed. After looking at the sector as a whole, I’ve been narrowing my research focus to Arlington County in particular. My supervisor, Susan, and I have been in the process of reaching out to subject matter experts in the area to have conversations about the trends they have been seeing and how they see innovation playing a role in the nonprofit sector.

Arlington's Ballston neighborhood

These past two weeks, I’ve been reviewing the annual reports of local nonprofits to see if there are any noticeable shifts in how nonprofits are being funded. I noticed a trend in how more individual giving is being redirected to local aid and health nonprofits, which I became very curious about. I started doing additional research regarding how individuals have been spending their charitable dollars throughout COVID-19. I came across multiple surveys, studies, and articles that noted the exact trends I was seeing in my own research. It was so fascinating to see how the exact findings I’ve come across are echoing the trends that nonprofit experts are seeing nationwide. Knowing what I know now about how people are giving to nonprofits post-pandemic, I can start thinking of some creative ways that nonprofits can capitalize on these shifts.

My conversations with local experts and nonprofit leaders are beginning this coming week; I can’t wait to share how those conversations go here in this blog! With the second half of the researchship and one final module of the MSM program left, it is an incredibly exciting time for growth and professional development. With all of the resources provided by the MSM program and my experience with the researchship, I’m growing into a more confident young professional every day!

Week 5 and 6

Hello everyone! We’re entering an exciting new phase of my researchship project as Week 6 wraps up. Now that I finished my research reviewing the current state of the nonprofit sector, I’m starting to narrow the focus of my work onto the needs of nonprofits of Arlington County. Together with my AED supervisor, Susan, I’m beginning to set up conversations with contacts throughout the county to better understand what the county nonprofits need to succeed. I’m so eager to start these conversations and learn more from people who are subject matter experts.

The walk into AED’s Ballston office

Aside from starting to compile questions to guide my informational interviews, this week I also participated in a webinar hosted by local organization 20 Degrees. 20 Degrees helps nonprofit organizations improve financial literacy and diversify their funding. I listened in as 20 Degrees provided some local nonprofits with knowledge about developing earned revenue streams through innovative use of their knowledge and organizational resources. After doing a large amount of reading about nonprofit earned revenue, it was so helpful to see this concept applied practically to help nonprofits succeed.

As I progress through the researchship, I’m so amazed about how much of what I’ve learned in my MSM

20 Degrees Webinar

classes has integrated into my project. This module in our Operations and Supply Chain Management course, we learned about optimizing capacity. As I did my initial research about the sector as a whole, capacity building came up repeatedly as a major need for nonprofits. With my knowledge from class, I was able to formulate ideas about how to build capacity by providing support to employees. While our examples in class related more closely to manufacturing, the information transferred easily over to a service-based model. Now that I’m looking to meet and speak with local leaders and organizations, I can have informed conversation with them about how we can improve nonprofit organizational capacity.

That’s all from me for this week! This new phase of my project is about to present me with exciting opportunities that I can’t wait to share with you all in the weeks to come!

Week 3 and 4

Welcome back! This week closed out Week 4 of my researchship with Arlington Economic Development (AED), and I’m very happy about the direction we’re carving out for this project! The researchship process is a quarter of the way through, and I feel as if the foundation we’ve laid so far has created a path for exciting developments.

The past two weeks have been very heavily focused on reviewing all of the literature I’ve collected through ��AV Libraries. The available databases provided me with a plethora of information, and I narrowed down all of the resources that I had available into a collection of timely and relevant issue briefs, annual reports, and journal articles. Week 3 was filled with a lot of reading, but I uncovered a lot of really interesting information that is going to be extremely useful moving forward.

To start Week 4, I again met with Susan at the AED offices. I gave her a more informal overview of all my findings thus far, and after we discussed the trends I’ve been uncovering, we brainstormed some ways that we can begin to focus this information towards the sector environment in Arlington County. What I really appreciate about my conversations with Susan is that I am starting to think of new ideas and approaches that I’ve never considered before. We also came up with a plan to start making connections with sector experts and leaders across Arlington County.

The rest of the week was spent preparing a formal report of my findings that I can deliver to Susan and the team at AED. Writing a literature review targeted to business rather than academia is a new venture for me, but it’s a skill that I’m very glad to now have under my belt.

Week 4 also included a career services session with some of the other members of my master’s in management cohort about understanding the common traits of good leaders and how to develop our own personal leadership style. My favorite part of these career sessions is getting to bounce ideas around with my classmates and learn from their own experiences.

That wraps up Weeks 3 and 4! This project with AED is coming together nicely, and I’m thrilled about the possibilities for further development. My findings so far have been highly informative and thought-provoking, and I’m excited to keep learning about ways to better meet the needs of Arlington County nonprofits!

I will be updating this space bi-Weekly on Tuesdays. Follow this link to get calendar reminders for my latest updates.

Week 2

Hi all! It is Week 2 of my master’s in management Researchship, and I’ve hit the ground running! My first two weeks were spent developing my research plan and getting a feel for all of the resources I can use to come up with solutions for the problem I have been presented. As a refresher, I will be working with Arlington Economic Development (AED) to research the needs of nonprofit organizations and come up with ways that Arlington County can better meet those needs and provide resources for area nonprofits.

The view from AED's office space

To kick off my researchship, I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to make a visit to AED’s offices in Arlington. Susan, my researchship supervisor, gave me a full tour of the office space before we had a meeting to shape my approach to the project. As an added bonus, the view of Arlington and D.C. from the office was phenomenal, especially with the cherry blossoms nearly at peak bloom! Using some of the information Susan supplied me with at our meeting, I spent the rest of the week creating an Excel database of the nonprofits of Arlington County as well as a catalogue of the research resources I had compiled so far.

Learning to navigate the GMU library databases

I kicked off Week 2 with a virtual meeting with Susan, where I caught her up on everything I had been working on so far and bounced around a few other research questions I had been workshopping. I came away from our meeting with a few more items for my to-do list and a plan to start researching! Beginning a literature review can be a daunting process sometimes, so I was very excited for our researchship session with ��AV Libraries. The other researchship students and I got a full walk-through of the useful databases that are offered to Mason students. With a better understanding of how to navigate the available resources for literature review, starting my research feels a lot more manageable!

That’s all from me for now! Now that I have developed a clearer plan for how to tackle this project with help from AED and GMU, I am ready to fully dive into my literature review. I’m eager to learn more about the current needs of the non-profit sector!

I will be updating this space bi-Weekly on Tuesdays. Follow this link to get calendar reminders for my latest updates.

Introduction

Sarah Menna

Hi everyone! My name is Sarah Menna, and I am unbelievably thrilled to get the opportunity to share my MSM Researchship experience with all of you!

I wanted to start off by introducing myself. I graduated from Penn State University (We Are!) in 2020 with a B.S. in Kinesiology and a minor in Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Management. Throughout my undergraduate career, I was following a pre-med track and prepping to become an orthopedic surgeon. However, through internships and volunteer work, I discovered that I had a love for managing teams and projects. I began searching for graduate programs in management, and after several great conversations, I found my fit in the MSM program here at ��AV.

What really excited me about this opportunity with AED was the chance to work alongside non-profits to learn how to better meet their needs in a rapidly changing economic environment. At Penn State, I dedicated much of my time to THON, the largest student-run philanthropy in the world. I also had a super unique internship experience with Underdogs United where I helped to connect professional athletes to projects that benefited the implementation of clean drinking water solutions in Kenyan schools. Non-profits have always been near and dear to my heart, and I am excited to continue my work with them. I also have professional interests in project management and consulting, and I am super lucky to get the chance to implement everything I’ve learned so far in the MSM program into a real-life consulting experience.

That’s all from me for now! Stayed tuned to follow along as I work alongside AED and the non-profits of Arlington County. I can’t wait to dive into this experience and share it with you all along the way!

I will be updating this space bi-Weekly on Tuesdays. Follow this link to get calendar reminders for my latest updates.

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New Partnership Eases Transition to Grad School

Jennifer Anzaldi — Wed, 16 Mar 2022 15:40:22 +0000

New Partnership Eases Transition to Grad School Jennifer Anzaldi Wed, 03/16/2022 - 11:40

Matt Van Horn

The ��AV School of Business recently set up a unique admission partnership with the University of Virginia at Wise. The pathway offers students who graduate from UVA-Wise the ability to streamline their applications to the master’s in accounting, master’s in finance, and master’s in management (MSM).

The master’s in management is designed for non-business majors who seek a foundation in business management. Program benefits include access to world-class faculty, individual advising and lifelong career coaching. Over the course of 11 months, MSM students will earn a master’s in management, complete an internship (150 hours), and participate in a global residency.

"The MSM program provides a unique opportunity to combine the diverse perspectives of the non-business undergraduate degrees with the targeted foundation in both the theory and practical application of business in areas such as organizational behavior, economics, finance, marketing, and others," says Victoria M Grady, associate professor of organizational behavior and academic director of the MSM Program. "It is exciting to be part of such a dynamic program. We are thrilled to share integrated partnerships with schools such as UVA-Wise."

Matt Van Horn, a student in the (MSM) program, is the first student to come through this pathway to Mason. When asked why he chose the pathway, Van Horn says it was because of Mason’s reputation and the easy nature of the application process.

“I always knew I wanted to go to grad school, but the graduate application process can be overwhelming,” Van Horn says. “The UVA-Wise pathway was almost too good to be true. It was like a yellow brick road through all the confusion.”

According to Van Horn, the MSM program has benefits that may not be obvious initially. The business school’s Office of Career Services is a “true benefit,” he says, and the staff works closely to meet student wants and needs. He emphasizes the excellent networking opportunities with other professionals in the Washington, D.C., area.

When asked how the MSM helped him develop, Van Horn says he now has a more realistic idea of the scope of the business world and the skills he needs to continue developing to be successful. “It allowed me to take what I already knew from undergrad and build on it,” he says.

He added that the professors are friendly and want their students to succeed, which he considers a strength of the program. Van Horn’s advice for students who are considering a School of Business master’s program is to reach out to any of the staff or faculty for more information.

If you would like your college or university to benefit from a similar partnership or pathway, please contact Kevin Connor, associate director of graduate admission, strategic initiatives in the School of Business.

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A Brain-Based Approach to Change Management

Jennifer Anzaldi — Thu, 10 Mar 2022 19:48:37 +0000

A Brain-Based Approach to Change Management Jennifer Anzaldi Thu, 03/10/2022 - 14:48

In This Story

Victoria Grady

Today’s world is changing so fast. As soon as you feel you’ve caught up, another crisis comes and knocks you for a loop. In this environment, there’s a heightened danger that we’ll fail to adapt fast enough. Inability or unwillingness to keep pace with change can leave us feeling stuck—incapable of moving forward.

Victoria Grady

If you can relate, Victoria Grady, an associate professor of management and program director of the Masters of Science in Management at Mason, has some consolation for you. Stuck-ness isn’t a sign that’s something wrong with you. It’s related to how our brains are wired. The even better news? If you understand the possibilities of the brain, you can climb out of the rut and help other people, even entire organizations, do the same.

Grady’s new book, Stuck: How to WIN at Work by Understanding LOSS, is the result of years of research and writing with her co-author Patrick McCreesh, an adjunct management professor at Mason. Stuck plumbs an area of psychology known as attachment theory, first developed in the mid-20^th century by John Bowlby, a British psychoanalyst.

In brief, attachment theory concentrates on how very young children learn to regard themselves as independent individuals, apart from but still linked to primary caregivers. It’s a slow, symbolic weaning process involving so-called “transitional objects” kids use to anchor themselves psychologically as they discover more about the world. For some kids, the transitional object of choice is a favorite blanket; for others, it’s a teddy bear. As we get older, the objects change but the mechanism formed in childhood remains essentially intact.

“This is an instinctual process,” Grady says. “You cannot make this go away. The only ones who do not have this are an extremely small percentage of the population who often struggle throughout life.”

Big organizational change—e.g., shifting to remote/in-person hybrid working, or business model transformation—inevitably disturbs employees, customers, shareholders, etc. who are attached to the status quo. Yet attachment theory is not part of the usual change management toolkit. Grady suggests that could be one reason why most change management initiatives fail to achieve their desired outcome. Stuck is a call to action for the largely process-based field of change management—the best-laid plans for organizational transformation are often thwarted by human psychology.

Although each of us may be unique in our attachments and preferred transitional objects, the ways in which we latch onto these things can be generalized into a limited number of basic categories, known as attachment styles. These styles originate from early childhood, when they are encoded into the limbic, or intuitive, system within the brain.

For organizational purposes, Grady and McCreesh have identified four attachment styles: stable, autonomous, distracted, and insecure. They write, “There is no right type of attachment style and each provides different value in different situations.”

Grady and McCreesh define the four attachment styles as follows: A stable attachment style arises from having been given a “secure base” for attachments in early childhood—e.g., attentive parents or other caregivers—and is conducive to generally positive and productive relationships in life and work. Autonomous attachment styles are the product of a childhood where one has learned to be independent emotionally—these individuals often have admirable attention spans but can struggle to connect with others. Distracted attachment styles lean toward the opposite extreme: intense dependence on the support of others and strong relational orientation. Finally, insecure attachment styles veer toward social anxiety that can lead to either hypersensitivity and burnout, or (with the help of a smart manager) unswerving organizational loyalty.

Grady has co-developed a diagnostic tool called the Attachment Styles Index (ASI) that companies can use to better understand their workforce. One of Stuck’s chapters tells how the ASI was used by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as the agency successfully overhauled its Flight Standards Service division. FAA change managers discerned in the data some key mismatches between team leaders’ and followers’ attachment styles, which were hindering communication and fostering mistrust. For example, stable-attachment leaders can have trouble empathizing with followers who don’t share their style of attachment. Managers who know the attachment styles of their team members can create transitional objects that provide psychological shelter through the storm of change.

Sometimes, leaders themselves can fulfill that critical transitional object function. Leaders with distracted attachment styles seem especially good at sensing the struggles of others, regardless of the individual’s respective style.

“Organizations can do better for change efforts by more effectively aligning leaders and followers based on attachment styles to create a better sense of support through change,” the authors write.

Grady says that Stuck is also pertinent for companies looking to hold onto their talent amid the Great Resignation. The pandemic played havoc with people’s workplace attachments. Using herself as an example, Grady says “The commute for me was the biggest loss. I was so used to the hour it took me to get to the office—I would think, talk, record stuff—I loved that time…We are attached to our routines. So many of my friends have lunch voids; they didn’t know how to have lunch by themselves. The organization has to respond to the changing environment.”

Managers can neither turn back time nor slow down the pace at which the world is changing. But they can work harder to understand their employees’ varied attachments and help create psychological lifelines to get people un-stuck.

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Grad Students Find Center a Gateway for Entrepreneurial Success

Jennifer Anzaldi — Thu, 10 Mar 2022 19:14:52 +0000

Grad Students Find Center a Gateway for Entrepreneurial Success Jennifer Anzaldi Thu, 03/10/2022 - 14:14

The master’s of science in management (MSM) program in ��AV's School of Business strives to support students not only in their academic pursuits, but in reaching their real-world entrepreneurial goals. A close partnership with the School of Business’ Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) provides MSM students access to an organization intent on nurturing those with entrepreneurial and innovative aspirations, and leaders in the field like CIE Interim Director Rebecca Howick. During the fall semester, Howick spoke with MSM students about CIE and how to become an entrepreneur.

With both local and regional reach, the center offers a variety of opportunities for students and alumni at every stage of the entrepreneurial process—from those just developing an interest to those with projects in mind ready to push forward. Methods of support can range from visits to local businesses in the student’s desired industry, to funding opportunities. “The MSM program is fortunate to have the resources and influence of the center. The success of the center is based around an incredibly supportive approach to working with Mason students. The center works with student business ideas that range from robotic technology to home brewing,” says Victoria Grady, MSM program director.

Howick says it is a pleasure to speak with MS in management students and alumni about the opportunities and resources available to them through the center. “We have had MS in management students participate in our Student Venture Program internship over the past few years,” she says. “MSM students have limitless potential in the entrepreneurship field because they are great problem solvers, approach challenges with enthusiasm and provide a global perspective on business. The center team invites the MS in management community to get involved with our programming.” Howick advises those interested to keep an eye out this upcoming spring for internship and job opportunities with CIE.

Offering professional development experience to non-business majors, the MSM program enhances students’ professional management skills and business-related knowledge base. Students have the option of completing the 36-hour requirement in as little as 11 months. The program features a 7 to 10-day global residency in which students take part in real-world management projects. Applicants should be recent bachelor’s degree graduates with less than two years of professional experience.

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Mason basketball student-athletes demonstrate they mean business when it comes to learning

Colleen Rich — Thu, 13 Jan 2022 14:31:49 +0000

Mason basketball student-athletes demonstrate they mean business when it comes to learning Colleen Rich Thu, 01/13/2022 - 09:31

Mason men's basketball players, Blake Buchanan, left, and D'Shawn Schwartz. Photo by Shelby Burgess/Strategic Communications

��AV men’s basketball players D’Shawn Schwartz and Blake Buchanan, both School of Business graduate students, say their friendship helps keep them focused on their studies.

“I would describe Blake as a lifelong learner, and it’s always interesting and motivating to talk to him,” Schwartz said.

Schwartz, who is working on a graduate certificate in business analytics, and Buchanan, who is pursuing a master’s degree in management, are suite-mates and say they often find themselves deep in conversations about politics, about movies, about anything.

“People push the idea that athletes don’t have other interests, but that’s far from the truth,” Buchanan said. “The majority of our conversations have nothing to do with basketball. We could end up talking about a history documentary or economic theory or any number of other topics that interest us.”

Schwartz is in his final season of athletic eligibility.

Mason men’s basketball head coach Kim English says that Schwartz and Buchanan’s leadership and emphasis on academics are crucial to the team’s culture of excellence.

“It’s very important to me that our student-athletes’ education extends beyond the classroom, and both of these student-athletes exemplify excellence in education,” English said. “As coaches, we look at ourselves as being a part of the higher education process. In recruiting, we target and seek out well-rounded, bright individuals who possess a growth mindset in both their athletic pursuits and as learners.”

Schwartz, 22, a 6-foot-7 forward, graduated from University of Colorado in May 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and an emphasis in marketing, as well as a certificate in music technology.

Schwartz is second on the Patriots in scoring this season and led Mason with a game-high 24 points in the team's upset win at #20 Maryland on Nov. 17.

In December, Schwartz was named one of 30 candidates for the NCAA’s Senior CLASS Award, which recognizes student-athletes who achieve success both on and off the court. The award recognizes excellence in character, community, classroom, and competition.

Besides basketball and business, Schwartz is passionate about music and spends much of his spare time working on songs. Schwartz plans to work as a music producer after his basketball career is done. Samples of Schwartz's music can be found on Spotify.

“I’m learning a lot this year in my studies about how to use statistics and data to make predictions, along with ways to sell to different demographics,” Schwartz said. “This year has also been a great way to explore Washington, D.C., and take in all the museums and experience a more urban lifestyle than I am used to.”

Buchanan, a 6-foot-5 guard, graduated from Wake Forest University in May 2021 with a degree in economics and a minor in entrepreneurship. He participates in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Buchanan said that studying management has allowed him to make good business connections and learn about concepts, translating them into “real-world settings.”

“My plan is to apply the knowledge I’m gaining toward a career in consulting or fundraising,” Buchanan said.

Buchanan, 21, has played in several games and is a critical part of Mason’s scout team helping in game preparations.

“I’m incredibly excited to see what both these men achieve in life and how they impact the world,” said English. “One thing is for certain—wherever they end up, Mason is going to be very proud that they are alumni. I know that they will have taken much from their time in Fairfax.”

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Director of the Master’s In Management Program Named 2021 Dean’s Teaching Faculty Fellow

Marianne Klinker — Mon, 06 Dec 2021 17:31:51 +0000

Director of the Master’s In Management Program Named 2021 Dean’s Teaching Faculty Fellow Marianne Klinker Mon, 12/06/2021 - 12:31

In This Story

Victoria Grady

Victoria M. Grady, director of the MS in Management program, was named one of 2021 Dean’s Teaching Faculty Fellows. Grady, who is also an associate professor of Management, joined the ��AV School of Business in 2014 as an assistant professor.

Victoria Grady

“Dr. Grady is an exceptional educator with a passion for her students and the topics she teaches. Through her research and consulting she brings insights from leaders in industry into the classroom,” said Associate Dean of Graduate Programs Paige Wolf.

After receiving her MS in Management from the University of Alabama in Huntsville she was drawn to teaching. Not long after, she had the opportunity to move to Europe, living in a small town in Southern Germany, where she began teaching for the University of Maryland’s European Division. “Once I began working for Maryland, my interest in teaching just continued to grow. When I returned back to the United States a few years later, I pursued my doctorate at The George Washington University with the goal of a career in higher education,” Grady said.

“My favorite part of the Mason community is being a part of a future-focused organization that has an eye toward growth and innovation. In just the last seven years of my tenure at Mason, I have been able to be a part of great change, which is incredibly exciting. I can’t wait to see what the future looks like for the school, and I am honored to be a part of it,” Grady added.

In the last several years, Grady has written articles for the Harvard Business Review, Washington Business Journal, a book in 2019 on workplace attachment, published four peer-reviewed articles, served as a faculty senator, and received the Outstanding Teaching in Management Award in 2016. However, helping her students is her greatest accomplishment.

In her role as director of the MS in Management program, Grady meets with each student applicant to discuss the curriculum and diverse career opportunities available to an MS in Management graduate. Many of these students have recently completed their undergraduate studies and do not have a business background – making them ideal candidates for this program. Designed to provide a foundation in business , MS in Management coursework includes topic areas such information technology, finance, economics, organizational behavior, among others.

Several years ago, Grady met with a recent undergraduate student who majored in German and Spanish, and was concerned about the quantitative component of the program. “I assured her we had great faculty and fantastic support for our grad students concerned about the quantitative aspects of our program. As it turned out, she loved statistics, and did extremely well,” Grady said. The student enjoyed the quantitative aspects of the program so much that she accepted an internship focused in the finance area, and ultimately earned a permanent position within the organization. “Similar stories emerge every year in our program, and I love that! This particular student is continuing her work with this global organization headquartered in Reykjavik, Iceland and has already been promoted with endless future opportunity,” Grady said.

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Opening Doors Through Education

Marianne Klinker — Fri, 03 Dec 2021 19:09:01 +0000

Opening Doors Through Education Marianne Klinker Fri, 12/03/2021 - 14:09

��AV School of Business has become an institution defined by its ambitious and hard working student body, who balance many unique leadership roles and responsibilities. Sher Khan embodies what it means to be a School of Business Patriot. Khan works full-time at Airbus, a European aircraft manufacturing firm, and is a recent graduate of the Master of Science in Management (’20) program. But there’s more on his plate than his professional position and rigorous academic workload. Khan is helping those less fortunate achieve their dreams of higher education.

Sher Khan

Originally from Pakistan, Khan has lived on four continents and has seen the relationship between poverty and lack of education firsthand. He was inspired to found Life Sponsorer to break down cultural barriers and bring forth social change, specifically for funding education in his native region. A significant component of the program is to persuade families to allow women to further their respective educations rather than being rushed into early marriage. Persuading the families becomes far more feasible once the financial obligation is no longer an obstacle to the young woman’s family. The cost of an education for a child in rural Pakistan is so small to someone of means. “One night of staying home instead of going out for me was a year’s education for someone else,” he explains.

After seeing that the need was there, and a desire to give back by many higher-income individuals, Khan wanted to bridge the gap. “Those wanting to donate could choose whose education they want to sponsor, and in real time, could track whom their charitable giving was benefiting,” he says. Many of the generous people who participate in giving will visit the schools in-person to see the difference they are making.

Others prefer privacy and are content with hearing updates. “For people outside of Pakistan, they donate directly to me, and I provide to them a cloud-based file that is continually updated as the receipts for the supplies and books are received,” says Khan. Seeing their dollars put to work is a gratifying experience that makes them more likely to give again and persuade others as well.

As for Khan’s future plans, “I plan to enter management consulting, which will give me a platform for problem solving, and work to build and sharpen a wide range of professional skills,” he says. This is just the beginning of Life Sponsorer, a lifelong project that will continue to grow as his network and skills expand. It is important to Khan that he travels back to Pakistan as often as he is able. The local people have entrusted him to drive social change, and he is up to the task.

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Jamaican American Alumna Takes Ownership of Culture

Marianne Klinker — Thu, 18 Nov 2021 21:06:05 +0000

Jamaican American Alumna Takes Ownership of Culture Marianne Klinker Thu, 11/18/2021 - 16:06

In This Story

Gabrielle Webster, '16

Texas-born and raised Gabrielle Webster, BA Integrative Studies ’14, MS in Management ’16, first learned about ��AV through her high school debate team. Now, as a double alumna, Webster is equipped to forge her ascending career in management while also giving back to the School of Business through serving on alumni advisory boards. Though management is still a male-dominated field, she sought out a place of employment where a young woman could have her voice heard and valued. Her last two employers were companies founded and operated by women. Currently at McKenna Management, the majority of her colleagues are women. Gabrielle Webster also brings a unique perspective as a role model, not only for what she has achieved, but as a proud first generation Jamaican American.

Gabrielle Webster

Webster is used to being the only Black woman in the room, and in many cases, the only person of color. “In a way, it’s empowering to take ownership of a culture,” she says. “At the same time, maybe it’s because of my age, gender, or how I look, but I feel like I’m tip toeing on a tight rope.” As the daughter of Jamaican immigrants, she holds her heritage dear to her heart and often taps into her cultural identity to provide a different perspective.

In a few short years, Gabrielle Webster has been making her mark. Recently, her client, American Physician Scientists Association, was awarded the prestigious 2020 ASAE (American Society of Association Executives) Power of A Silver Award. Webster’s extensive work with associations and boards influenced her to become an involved alumna at Mason, joining the School of Business Alumni Chapter Board, where she is committed to the mission of advancing the school’s reputation and interests.

There is a broad spectrum of tools and experiences Gabrielle Webster has gained from Mason’s Master of Science in Management program that are now trusted best practices in her everyday work. “My preference had always been to work independently,” she says. “But the cohort work forced me to excel in group projects, and that has become very important for me today.” Additionally, she grew a passion for economics that led her to write an article on the payday loan industry for an international magazine. Webster’s education has clearly laid the foundation for wherever she wants to go, with each experience serving as another building block. As Webster continues her trend of excellence, she works diligently for herself and others to surpass even the most ambitious goals.

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Mason graduate students get consultant training through new ‘researchship’ program

Colleen Rich — Thu, 27 May 2021 12:29:02 +0000

Mason graduate students get consultant training through new ‘researchship’ program Colleen Rich Thu, 05/27/2021 - 08:29

From left, Mason MS in Management students who took part in the new researchship program Eileen Voss, Lawrence Hailes, and Emmanuella Serwaa. Photo provided

Students pursuing an MS in management through ��AV’s School of Business usually spend four months getting work experience through internships at local companies. This year, however, due to the coronavirus pandemic, administrators had to think creatively. So instead, they asked local businesses what they thought of hiring students to do remote “researchships.”

“With the pandemic, we didn’t think there would be many of your typical internships, so we had to innovate,” said Victoria Grady, associate professor of management and director of the management program. “We reached out to businesses in Arlington and asked them if they wanted students who could research and provide answers to specific questions they had.”

The 11-month, 36-credit program, which begins in August and finishes in July, generally has around 35 students attending each year. The program focuses on the fundamentals of business management in a global environment. The internship is a key part of the program, so administrators were concerned that students would lose out on a valuable opportunity to put classroom theory to practice in a corporate environment.

Kimberly Blue, graduate career manager at the School of Business, reached out to the Arlington Chamber of Commerce and various businesses, and found that, despite the pandemic, some businesses wanted to do more of a traditional internship. Other businesses, however, were intrigued by the idea of students researching particular topics from remote locations. She described the researchship as similar to being a consultant. Both researchships and internships are paid.

Six businesses chose the researchship model, with professional services firm Dixon Hughes Goodman and Arlington Community Federal Credit Union taking two students each.

Lawrence Hailes, who graduated Mason in 2015 with a BA in music, was working as an actor in local productions when the pandemic hit. He decided to pivot into the corporate world so that he had some job stability. Hailes’ researchship is with Dixon Hughes Goodman.

“I have been looking at questions around restructuring post-pandemic,” said Hailes. “I’m looking into trends—what are other companies doing? Are they going virtual or hybrid, and how are they keeping their employees connected?”

Each week, Hailes receives questions about “what they want me to dig into” and then on Fridays he makes presentations and recommendations related to his research.

“I think I give the firm a fresh perspective,” said Hailes. “And the researchship allows me to delve into a topic, learn about the corporate world and then communicate my findings in a succinct way for a broad audience.”

Hailes adds, “Being an actor has paid off because I’m not shy about presenting to people.”

Clare Sullivan, who graduated with a degree in social work from Virginia Commonwealth University, said that her researchship at Arlington Economic Development has allowed her to study in depth urban agriculture.

“I’ve learned about the impact that urban agriculture can have, how it brings jobs and education and access to food,” said Sullivan. “And I’ve gotten to work with great people who love their jobs.”

Blue said that both the businesses and the students appear to be gaining from the researchship model. She expects the program to offer both researchships and internships post-pandemic.

“By thoroughly examining important topics, students are making a real difference for their employers,” said Blue.

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