Student Ambassadors

Farid Farooq, Class of 2024

Farid our international student hailing from Pakistan, brings a range of experience to the program. With a background in mechanical engineering, he previously worked at Pakistan’s largest fertilizer chemical plant, Engro. During his tenure there, he demonstrated a diverse skill set, leading teams in overhauling turbomachines, managing contracts, and overseeing procurement portfolios. Currently, he is pursuing his MBA with a focus on supply chain management and a dual masters in Business Analytics, further enhancing his professional acumen.

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.

Victoria Friedhoff, Class of 2024

Victoria graduated from Northeastern University with a MS degree in International Management in 2018. Post degree, she worked for companies in the Food and Equestrian Fashion Industry as a Project, and Product Manager. Her projects were often centered around topics of digitalization, which led her to pursue an additional MS degree in Information Technology while pursuing her MBA. When Victoria is not studying, she enjoys being outside, exploring new hobbies and activities, and Improv theater.

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.

Jared Brooks, Class of 2025

Jared graduated from The University of Texas at Dallas with a degree in Healthcare Studies Pre-Medicine in 2022. Post-undergrad, he worked for The University of Texas at Dallas as a Research Coordinator at the Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory of Memory and Language. He is currently using his military leadership and analytical skills to pursue an MBA concentrating in analytics and an MS in Finance. When Jared is not studying, he enjoys being outside, playing sports, staying active, and finding new hobbies.

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.

Gabriela Guerreiro Class of 2024

Gabriela, a Brazilian international student, earned her degree in Marketing from Anhembi Morumbi University in 2020. Post undergrad, she worked as a digital marketing analyst at Natura&Co and Roche Pharmaceuticals, specializing in digital communication strategy in Brazil. Currently, she is channeling her background in digital communication strategy towards an MBA, focusing on Product Management. Outside of her academic pursuits, Gabriela enjoys the outdoors, playing volleyball, and exploring Dallas.

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.

Nick Maleska, Class of 2024

Nick graduated from Texas A&M University in 2018 after getting his Bachelor’s in Finance with a minor in Economics. After graduation, Nick moved back to his home of DFW to start a career with Sewell Automotive in Dallas. After five years of award-winning sales and service with Sewell, he decided to transition careers by pursuing his MBA with the Jindal School of Management. He is currently pursuing his MBA in the hopes of leveraging his retail background into a career in Product Management. When Nick is not studying, he enjoys walking his dog or cooking with his wife, as well as making sure to watch the Aggies every Saturday.

Ali Barskiy, Class of 2024

Ali is originally from Atlanta, GA and graduated from The University of Alabama with a BS in marketing in May of 2023. During undergrad, she worked as a research assistant in the Alabama marketing department and completed two summer internships with Collins Aerospace. Ali joined the MBA program to develop her leadership and analytical skills, which she plans to leverage into a career in marketing analytics and research. When Ali isn’t studying, she also does amateur adult gymnastics and competes with the UTD club gymnastics team.

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.

Biraj Shrestha, Class of 2024

Biraj’s path so far has been a blend of tech and strategy, with a significant background in the defense industry as an Engineering Lead with Lockheed Martin. Holding a Bachelor of Science in Electrical & Computer Engineering from UT Austin and currently pursuing an MBA with a focus on Product/Strategic Management at UT Dallas, Biraj is excited about the opportunities this program offers to further enhance his skill set and contribute to his future endeavors.

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.

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!.

Parker Fulton, Class of 2024

Parker graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Oklahoma in 2014. His professional journey is characterized by a varied background, including roles in overseeing front-line oil and gas operations, technical sales, and financial services. Parker aims to utilize his MBA, engineering expertise, and professional experience to advance his career. Outside of academic pursuits, he enjoys yoga, pickleball, and quality time with his family.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Vy Trang, Class of 2024

Vy is doing her PMBA online as she lives in Houston, Texas. She received her B.B.A in accounting at the University of Houston. Since then, she has had various finance roles at bp and is currently part of the internal audit team.

Vy is passionate about finding ways to help develop people and improve processes. She is pursuing and MBA to strengthen her strategic management knowledge and to propel her career forward. In her spare time, she enjoys coffee shop hunting, crafting, and keeping her three (yes, three!) corgis happy.

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.

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.

Yannick Forbes, Class of 2024

Yannick currently works at Citigroup in Strategic Partnerships for the Citi Technology Infrastructure organization. He graduated from Florida State University with his Bachelor’s in Finance and later obtained his CMA certification. He has spent most of his career in banking and consumer technology across the Chicagoland area, but recently moved to Dallas with his wife for a change in weather. Yannick is passionate about solving problems. As a PMBA student, he plans to focus on Product and Innovation related coursework, to help modernize the customer experience

Apramit Pradhan, Class of 2023

Apramit is an international student from India who graduated from Vellore Institute of Technology with a bachelor’s degree in information technology. He was employed with Accenture in India as an application development analyst. At Accenture, he improved client experiences by streamlining numerous CRM-based systems. Before joining the JSOM MBA cohort, he had a few years of managerial experience at an NGO, where he planned and oversaw interdepartmental strategic planning meetings to determine project goals and distribute resources. He is pursuing an MBA with an MS in ITM dual degree emphasis. Apramit intends to work in product management jobs after earning an MBA and is excited to develop and oversee sustainable products.

Arturo Nunez, Class of 2025

Arturo currently works in the aerospace and defense industry as a program manager for emerging technologies. He graduated with his bachelor’s in Industrial Engineering from the University of Arkansas in 2017. Post-graduation, he participated in an operations rotational program where he held roles in supply chain, manufacturing, and quality management. Having worked in the US and in Mexico, Arturo now plans to focus his PMBA on international and strategic management, and to collaborate with fellow cohort students to tap into global markets, gain exposure to different sectors, and expand his professional reach. In his free time, Arturo enjoys fishing, playing soccer, and spending time with his family.

Harshavardhan Reddy Yedula, Class of 2023

Harsha is an Indian international student; he received his bachelor’s degree in electrical and electronics engineering from Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham. Previously he worked as an automotive component responsible engineer for Bosch, ZF, and Mercedes Benz in India. During his professional career he collaborated with cross-border and cross-functional counterparts, defined the product strategy, helming competitive benchmarking and global marketing remits. Currently, Harsha is pursuing an MBA with a dual degree concentration in MS in SCM. Post MBA, Harsha plans to work in operations management or supply chain management role towards generating tech products in the automotive /aerospace which are centered around sustainability.

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!

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.

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.

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.

Brianna McAnally, Class of 2024

Bree is a part of the Professional MBA Flex program. She received her Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering at the University of California, Davis. Bree started her career with Texas Instruments in 2016 as a Product Engineer, but has since transitioned into a role as a Global Subcon Sourcing Manager. While she benefited greatly from her technical education and career, Bree has really enjoyed rounding out her business skills through her current role and MBA courses. In her spare time she loves taking Zumba classes, spending time with her family, and trying out new recipes.