Hear about the UT Dallas MBA from the voices of the people who know best.
The best way to understand how the MBA at UT Dallas can impact your life is to hear directly from the people who have experienced it themselves. MBA alumni and current students, as well as faculty and staff members, have a lot to say about what you can expect from joining the MBA program, working hard with your classmates and finally walking off the stage, diploma in hand, ready to advance in your career.
Student Ambassadors
MBA Ambassadors are here to answer any of your questions. They are current students who are passionate about their MBA experience at UT Dallas and have chosen to mentor and guide other students like you.
Tyler Resnick, Class of 2024
Tyler is a student in the evening cohort MBA program. Prior to UTD, Tyler received his BS in Business Management from Mercy College while also minoring in Music Industry & Technology. Tyler currently works as a Client Success Manager at a Tech Staff Augmentation company called Andela, Inc. Tyler’s professional passions include eCommerce, digital, tech organizations, product/brand management, and Relationship Management. In his spare time, he enjoys cooking and trying to restaurants with his wife and friends, golfing, exercising, and watching the Dallas Mavericks.
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Blake Carrington, Class of 2024
Blake graduated from Baylor University with a degree in Human Resources Management in 2014. He most recently worked as a Talent Acquisition Specialist at Neiman Marcus, helping job seekers find new roles within the Supply Chain sector. He is now pursuing his Full-time MBA and looking to build his career in Brand Marketing.
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Austyn Carter, Class of 2024
Austyn completed her Undergrad at UT Austin with a BBA in marketing, minor in management, and a certificate in global management in 2019. She is currently working as a Sales Development Rep for Data & AI at IBM. She is a Dallas native and happy to be back in her hometown pursuing her MBA. She loves to be outside (especially the mountains), and playing with her friend’s pets since she does not own one.
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Dillon Harstvedt, Class of 2024
Dillon is currently in the Professional MBA Flex program. He graduated from Mississippi State University, with a BS in Industrial and Systems Engineering and a minor in Mathematics. Upon graduation, he joined Caterpillar’s three-year Leadership and Technical Development Program (LTDP), after which he transitioned to a Manufacturing and Supply Chain Project Manager role located in Denison, Texas. Dillon is incredibly passionate about operational execution and continuously improving people, processes, and product quality. In his free time, he enjoys weight training, golfing, researching the stock market, traveling, and playing outside with his rescued golden retriever.
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Melissa Tran, Class of 2024
Melissa is currently in the Professional MBA Online program. She graduated from Arizona State University, with a BS in Computer Information Systems and a BS in Business Management (Entrepreneurship). Upon graduation, she went to work for General Motors in Austin, Texas as a Software Engineer, eventually transitioning to an IT Program Manager. Melissa is pursuing an MBA to hone her current business skills and expand her technical knowledge to become a more effective technical program manager. In her free time, she enjoys watching Marvel content, reading, weight training, and hanging with her rescued german shepherd.
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Sijo Mathew Varghese, Class of 2023
Born and raised in Bangalore, India, Sijo graduated with a degree in Electrical & Electronics Engineering in 2017. He co-founded an agency startup, Overnight Ventures, a Digital Marketing & Advertising agency. He spearheaded marketing execution for several brands pan India including Puma and Ola Electric and managed a highly cross-functional team of marketers. Sijo is currently pursuing an MBA with a concentration in Marketing & Analytics as part of the Flex program along with an MS in Marketing, Product Management track. He worked as a Product Marketing intern at Samsung Electronics America over the Summer of 2023. Outside of business school, Sijo plays in the Dallas Cricket League, seeks adventure through road trips, hikes, and loves to explore new coffee spots in Dallas.
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Vineet Keshaw, Class of 2023
Vineet is an international student from India. He graduated with his BA (H) in Economics. Previously he worked in non-profit consulting and product management. In these roles, he has worked in client facing and business development roles. He is currently pursuing his MBA and MS in Finance.
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Alex Tosi, Class of 2025
Alex completed his undergrad at The United States Military Academy at West Point with a BS in Environmental Science and a minor in Environmental Engineering. He is currently working as an Executive Officer for US Army Recruiting in Dallas, TX. He is a native of Long Island, New York and due to his love for constantly trying new restaurants, he’s loved living in Dallas. Additional hobbies include running, and he is currently training for the Dallas Marathon this December.
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Griffen Henderson, Class of 2024
Griffen graduated from Baylor University in 2019 after studying International Relations. For the last few years, he has been leading an operations team for a real estate/property management firm here in Dallas. After weighing various programs, he chose the Full-Time cohort at UTD to pivot careers as quickly as possible while still at a top-ranked school. Outside the classroom, Griffen plays various sports and continues his search for the best Mexican food in DFW.
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Anteneh Tsegaye, Class of 2024
Anteneh graduated from the University of Texas at Dallas in May 2022 with a major in Accounting. Post-graduation, he worked for Accenture as a Financial Analyst. He is now pursuing his MBA full-time with a concentration in Human Resources Management to empower those around him to reach their full potential.
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Umair Safdar, Class of 2023
Umair was a born and raised in Pakistan, he graduated with a degree in Accounting and Finance from Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) one of the leading business schools in Pakistan. Post graduation, he worked for a year as a financial advisor for an investment bank. Later he joined State Bank of Pakistan, where he served as a Bank Examiner for more than four years and developed skills in risk management , supervision and financial analysis. He is currently pursuing MBA and Masters in Business Analytics.
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Riju Humagain, Class of 2024
Riju graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 2016 with a degree in International Relations and worked at Amazon right after graduation. She started as an Area Manager and eventually became a Senior Operations Manager. Currently, Riju is pursuing an MBA to make a career change. In her free time, she enjoys playing with her dog, Milo, and trying to get back into yoga!.
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Robert Swan, Class of 2024
Rob grew up in New Jersey and graduated from the United States Military Academy in 2011. After serving in the Army as an Field Artillery officer, Rob moved to Dallas and has worked in both Operations and Sales. Rob works for Interstate Batteries and is planning to focus on Operations at UT Dallas. In his free time, Rob enjoys playing golf, jiu jitsu, and spending time with his wife and two pups.
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Rustin Tholen, Class of 2025
Rustin graduated from UT Arlington with a BBA in management and has obtained his Project Management Professional (PMP) certification. He currently designs fiber optic networks as an Architecture Design Engineer after spending most of his career in the telecommunications industry. Rustin has an entrepreneurial spirit and has started multiple companies. He is proud to be part of the PMBA evening cohort and is excited to expand his business acumen. In his free time, Rustin enjoys cycling and exploring the world with his wife.
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Sara Rutherford, Class of 2024
Sara graduated from the University of Alabama with two degrees in Economics and Finance with a concentration in Global Business in 2017. Post undergrad, she worked for Tandem Consulting LLC as an Account Manager with an emphasis on legal accounting & project work in hurricane disaster relief in New Orleans, LA. She is currently using her financial analytical background to pursue her MBA and Masters in Finance, concentrating in Business Analytics & FinTech. When Sara is not studying, she enjoys going on walks, cooking, and shopping.
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Brianna Harrington, Class of 2023
Brianna graduated from the University of Texas at Dallas in 2018 with a major in Arts and Technology and a minor in Visual Arts. Post-graduation, Brianna moved home to Austin Texas where she had several jobs including being a teacher and co-owning her own small business. She is now pursuing her MBA with a concentration in Marketing and Analytics and she plans to pursue digital marketing upon graduation. Brianna is very excited to be back at UT Dallas as a member of the Full-time MBA cohort and can’t wait to continue her academic journey!
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Crisbel Rodriguez, Class of 2025
Crisbel is a Business Analyst at Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits and is a part of the evening cohort PMBA program. She grew up in Katy, Texas and received her undergraduate degree in Information Technology with concentration in Business Analytics and a minor in Mathematics from Texas Tech University in 2019. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, reading, and attending live music events.
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Shahab Ghandi, Class of 2024
Shahab is currently part of the Professional MBA Flex Program with a passion for transforming manufacturing and optimizing supply chain operations. Holding a Bachelor of Science in Industrial and Systems Engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington, he began his career at Siemens Smart Infrastructure and later at Peterbilt Motors Company as a Process Engineer. Shahab now serves as an Advanced Analytics Product Manager in Operations at Peterbilt Motors, leading data-driven initiatives to drive operational excellence and innovation.
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Sambuj Dhara, Class of 2024
Sambuj, an international student with a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Veer Surendra Sai University of Technology, brings a versatile background to his career aspirations. His experience in Marketing and Sales at Hindustan Petroleum showcased his ability to understand customer needs, devise effective product strategies, and generate value for both clients and the organization. He has also excelled in Operations and Supply Chain, demonstrating a talent for optimizing processes and efficiently managing logistics. Currently pursuing an MBA with a MS in Business Analytics, Sambuj is strategically positioning himself for a career in business consulting and product management. His specific focus is on the clean technology and clean energy sector.
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Ian Reynoso, Class of 2025
Ian holds a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Northern Colorado. After graduation, he commissioned as a Cyber Warfare officer in the U.S. Army where he would lead complex cyber operations within Cyber Command. As the founder of a Web Development Agency, Ian is pursuing an MBA with the aim of implementing lessons learned during the program towards his business and Army career. In his free time, Ian enjoys family time, video games, and staying active through workouts and sports.
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MBA students talk about their invaluable academic experiences at the UT Dallas Jindal School of Management, providing advice, perspective, and vision.
Jordan Pedigo, Class of 2016
Assistant Vice President – Division Controller, BOK Financial Corporation
The MBA program provided a number of opportunities to work in team-based settings. These experiences improved my skills in communication, leadership, team-building and presentation. I have gained a new perspective into the challenges that businesses face, and I am ready to use the skills and knowledge gained to help add value in the workplace.
Jakeb Spears, Class of 2017
Physician Compensation Analyst, Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting
The UT Dallas Full-Time MBA Program helped me make professional connections in my chosen industry, pushed me to challenge myself academically and professionally, and taught me both the quantitative and qualitative skills necessary to land my post-graduate job as an analyst in healthcare consulting.
Megan Kling, Full-Time MBA Class of 2021
“The Power of Two mentorship program gave me the opportunity to form a meaningful relationship with a professional whom I deeply admire and wouldn’t have had a connection to otherwise. My mentor and I have honed in on my career goals, practiced interviewing, and discussed shared interests and relevant issues as I go through my MBA. This mentorship program is one of the things I looked forward to the most in my first year as a student, and I have already experienced the benefits of forming new networks and speaking to someone with the skills and experience I aspire to have myself someday.”
Cale Hiroms, Class of 2017
Air Force SSgt.; Program Manager, Raytheon
One of the reasons I chose UT Dallas was because of the low tuition costs—using my veteran’s benefits reduced my out-of-pocket costs to almost nothing. The Professional MBA cohort structure has allowed me to connect more meaningfully with my classmates, more so than most other traditional MBA formats.
Jared Lange, Class of 2017
Administrator, Business Sustainability and Development, Parkland Hospital
When I researched MBA programs, the following were important: convenient location, accredited faculty, competitive tuition, hand-selected small cohort and strong alumni connections. UT Dallas met all of these needs. Additionally, the professors have been exceptional, and there have been numerous opportunities to connect with alumni.
Abhinav Sharma, Class of 2015
Senior Program Manager, Amazon
The MBA program has helped me grow professionally, academically and personally. Looking back, I am a completely changed person in every aspect, and the Jindal School has played a key role in setting me up for success as I enter a new phase of my life. I am grateful for everything that I have learned.
Justin Figueredo, Class of 2016
Army Reserves Captain; UNT Assistant Professor of Military Science; Financial Analyst, City of Grapevine
The Professional MBA program at UT Dallas was invaluable for my transition from active duty military service to the civilian workforce. Because of the relationships formed within my evening cohort and the insight and knowledge passionately shared by the esteemed faculty, this is an experience that I will never forget.
Wenet Wu, Class of 2016
Sr. Category Specialist, Chick-fil-A, Inc.
As a young professional in the supply chain industry, I needed a graduate program that would challenge me to think outside the norms of traditional supply chain techniques. The MS SCM program at the UT Dallas provided me excellent networking opportunities through student organizations such as INFORMS, SCLC, APICS and ISM.
Laura Albright, Class of 2016
Management Consulting Lead Analyst, RealFoundations
The program not only gave me the tools I needed to achieve my goal of a rewarding career in a new industry – the in-class experience, a close-knit community of alumni in business and a rigorous curriculum, to name just a few – but I found a group of like-minded professionals who I am proud to call my friends. If I can do it, anyone can do it!
Nadeem Panjwani, Class of 2017
Software Product Manager, Motorola Mobility
The program helped me bridge the gap by acquiring high-value industry skills, building connections, and preparing for real-world challenges. In retrospective, I feel the three things that contributed most were – my cohort batch, my professors, and the wonderful MBA office staff. I cherish every moment I spent being part of the Full-Time Cohort MBA program and will always be grateful for everything it gave me!
Janelle Manuel, Class of 2017
Inbound Analytics & SEM Manager, Mohawk Industries
The instructors are great about bringing real-time events into the classroom and encouraging us to apply our experiences to their material as well. You tend to read more intently and dig deeper for interesting information because you want to make sure that you are an active, knowledgeable participant in the class conversations.
James King, Class of 2016
Compensation, Benefits, & HRIS Manager, A. H. Belo
Switching careers is never easy, but getting my MBA at the Naveen Jindal School at UT Dallas made it far more manageable. As a result, I was able to secure an exciting and challenging career with excellent growth potential—an absolute must for a family man like myself.
Conner Rhodes, Full-Time MBA Class of 2021
The Power of 2 Mentor Program has had such a positive impact on my professional development. My mentor helped me understand how I was presenting myself to employers through my resume and we worked together to determine where I could improve. I can attribute my success in finding a summer internship directly to the work that we did together over the course of our meetings. No matter what step of your career journey you are on, I have no doubt the Power of 2 Program will bring a return on investment!.
Justin Drummond-Murray, Class of 2013, Power of 2 Mentor
Having an experienced mentor is critical in helping students pivot their careers. Often, students undersell themselves and their previous experience. As a mentor, I get to help students successfully reposition themselves. One particular student comes to mind – they updated their resume with their mentor’s feedback. They went from having zero interviews to an employer creating a new, more senior internship position to hire them.
Alumni Spotlights
Read the success stories from MBA Alumni, current professionals sharing insights about their experience and life after getting their MBA at UT Dallas.
Jason Ellison, BS’03 MBA’06
Entrepreneur
While Ellison began his professional career at KPMG in audit, he now is on his second (or third) career, as owner of Ellison Business Consulting in Allen.
Kuntesh Chokshi, MS’01, MBA’04
GM, Sales Director New Business, PepsiCo
Chokshi, a 2017 Minority Business Leader honoree by the Dallas Business Journal, credits his business success to both hunger and curiosity
Michelle Ketsler, MBA’14
Senior Manager, Vistra Energy
Michelle Ketsler, whose MBA studies included a concentration in finance and strategic management, is the senior manager for demand management and account service management at Vistra Energy. She is responsible for establishing and managing the governance of Vistra Energy’s retail technology investment portfolio and ensuring approved projects are aligned with the company’s strategy.
David Taylor, MBA’09
Chief Operating Officer, Intellicentrics.
Taylor completed his Global Leadership MBA (GLEMBA) degree, which, he says, “opened up (my) ability to be multi-disciplinary and global yet local.” IntelliCentrics, based in Flower Mound, focuses on safety and security in healthcare operations. As COO, Taylor oversees global operations, innovation, technology and people operations.
Tina T. Hoang, BS’09
Financial Advisor, Northwestern Mutual
Hoang, who graduated cum laude with a Business Administration degree, says her degree gave her the knowledge, resources and connections to help people with their financial planning needs. “It helped me build character, business acumen and find the passion for what I do now,” she says. She says she is proud her work will impact families and businesses now “and last … on into the following generations.” She was recently selected as one of 60 representatives nationwide to attend a special fast-track program for young advisers in Milwaukee. While there, she took part in the challenge course.
Angelica Barriga, BS’03, MBA’08
Director, Global Business Process Management, Adva Optical Networking
Angelica Barriga, an advocate for bold action, believes organizational behavior is an important yet often-overlooked component in developing a business strategy. In her role at ADVA Optical Networking, a telecommunications vendor based in Germany, she oversees the business lifecycle process across global sales, marketing and service organizations.
Jeff Hightower, MBA’01
SVP, Group Manager, Corporate Banking, Green Bank, NA
At Green Bank, Hightower originates and develops relationships with commercial clients. He also oversees a team of relationship managers.
Sarah Hagan, EMBA’11
CFO, Omnitracs
Hagan, a Dallas resident, joined Omnitracs, LLC, in April 2016, after a successful 11 years at Sabre Corp., where she held senior leadership positions in accounting and finance.
Susan Kassen, MBA’00
Associate, Ebby Halliday Realtors
After several years spent working in sales and marketing, Susan Kassen decided to combine her passion for real estate and love of the local community, and pursue a career in real estate. During this transition, she relied on lessons learned while earning an MBA from the Jindal School.
Craig Weigel, MBA’03
Human Resources Director, PepsiCo
Weigel, an HR professional for more than 18 years, has worked for multiple Fortune 100 global companies in various roles, including recruiting, mergers and acquisitions, compensation, and business partnership. He is most proud of his short-term projects in Asia and Europe, which broadened his cultural awareness and global business knowledge.
Jonathan Seyoum, MBA’03
Partner and Chief Operating Officer, The Original Pancake House
Jonathan Seyoum never imagined a part-time job would one day lead to part ownership of one of DFW’s most well-known breakfast eateries.
Taylor Lipsett , MBA’16
AVP, Private Wealth Management And Portfolio Manager, US Trust at Bank Of America
In his role at Bank of America, Lipsett manages investment portfolios for the bank’s private wealth clients. He says his MBA “expanded my breadth of knowledge across various business areas [and] taught me how to balance a full workload, work with others to accomplish a common goal, and how to network and build relationships with other professionals.” For Lipsett, his extracurricular passion has been all things sled hockey.
Fallon D. Wallace, MS’15 MBA’15
Associate Site Administrator, Parkland Health And Hospital System
Wallace, who earned her MBA and master’s degree in Healthcare Management at Jindal School, assists with all aspects of operations at Parkland’s Southeast Dallas Health Center, including administrative, business and clinical, in addition to the design of work processes, prioritization of initiatives and clinic performance improvement projects. She’s been at Parkland for almost four years.
Thomas S. Ducote, Jr. , MBA’96
Vice President – Business Development, City National Capital Finance
Ducote, who lives in Austin, works in the equipment finance group for City National Bank, based in Miami.
Andy Mangham, BS’07 MBA’12 MS’13
IT Audit Manager – Global Sox Assurance; CBRE
In his role at the real estate services giant CBRE, Mangham manages IT audits for global operations, works on special projects for executives.
Bob Lockett, MBA’99
Senior Vice President, Human Resources, Harland Clarke Holdings
I had the opportunity to meet some great professors and hard-working students. Many of the folks in my classes were working full time.
Clarisa Duran Lindenmeyer, MBA’09
Founder/president: Proximity To Power
Lindenmeyer says that in her current role as a C-level strategist in sales, marketing and growth, her MBA helps round out her ability.
Steven P. Nelson, MBA’89
Director, Ecosystem and Marketing Platformsfreescale Semiconductor
When Steve entered the Jindal School’s MBA Program, he decided to stray from his engineering background and pursue a concentration in marketing. That unlikely decision uncovered a new passion and ultimately shifted his career path.
Chris Spartz, MBA’11
Senior Associate – Risk Consulting, Contract Compliance KPMG
At KPMG, Spartz serves in multiple roles including reviewing contracts between his clients and their third party service providers to identify risks within the agreement and help his clients to ensure compliance with contracts, standards, policies and regulatory requirements. “I also collect, manipulate, analyze and interpret large data sets, and use results to develop recommendations for corrective and preventative actions for identified risks,” Spartz says.
Allen Mueller, MBA’15
Senior Analyst, Fuel Strategy, Vistra Energy
Mueller, a recent Jindal School graduate, has spent a decade in mining engineering and operations, most recently at Luminant Energy in Dallas and Martin Marietta Materials in San Antonio. He earned his undergraduate and master’s degree in mining engineering at Southern Illinois University.
