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For the third year in a row, the estimated number of uninsured people in Tennessee dropped, according to a report released today by the Boyd Center for Business and Economic Research in UT’s Haslam College of Business.
The percentage of uninsured people in Tennessee—5.5 percent—is the lowest in the past 20 years.
This year’s survey shows that the uninsured rate for adults decreased from 8.2 percent in 2015 to 6.6 percent in 2016. This percentage change represents approximately 67,000 fewer uninsured adults during that time and approximately 218,500 fewer uninsured adults since 2013. The uninsured rate for children is 1.8 percent.
The numbers are part of the “The Impact of TennCare: A Survey of Recipients, 2016,” a report authored by LeAnn Luna, a Boyd Center and accounting professor, and Angela Thacker, a Boyd Center research associate. The annual report looks at the health insurance status of Tennessee residents, collects information about recipients’ use of medical facilities, and gauges the extent of their satisfaction with services received.
This year’s survey indicates that 92 percent of respondents reported satisfaction with the TennCare program. This marks the eighth year in a row that satisfaction levels have exceeded 90 percent.
“We are pleased to learn that the satisfaction rate continues to reflect the mission of our organization, which is to improve lives through high-quality cost-effective care,” said Wendy Long, deputy commissioner of Health Care Finance and Administration and director of the Bureau of TennCare. “The results of this annual study show a general improvement in access to health care across the state, but we know that more work can be done.”
Other highlights from this year’s survey include:
The survey, which interviewed approximately 5,000 heads of households by telephone between May and July 2016, is a regular follow-up to previous surveys conducted since 1993.
The Boyd Center conducted the survey under contract with the Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration.
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CONTACT:
Lydia McCoy (865-974-6086, lmccoy5@utk.edu)
LeAnn Luna (865-974-6080, leann@utk.edu)
Betsy Adams recently joined the Haslam College of Business as assistant dean of finance and administration. Her first day in the position was October 10.
In her previous role as assistant provost of systems and resources at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, campus Adams coordinated large, cross-campus teams on a number of projects and helped advise administrators and academics on data and financial management.
“Betsy brings a wealth of experience, relationships and knowledge, thanks to her years of service at the university level,” said Steve Mangum, dean and Stokely Foundation Leadership Chair at Haslam. “We look forward to the impact that she will have on our strategic planning, data analysis and decision-making capabilities. In addition, it is always enjoyable to welcome home a graduate of our college.”
Adams obtained her MBA from Haslam in 2010 and has worked within the UT system since 2007. Prior to that she was director of human resources, budget and financial systems at St. Clair Community College in Port Huron, Michigan.
“As a graduate from the EMBA program, I consider Haslam my academic home,” Adams said. “I have been impressed with Haslam’s dean and leadership team, as well as the warm welcome I’ve received from the faculty and staff. I look forward to working with everyone to help move Haslam strategically and methodically forward in our mission.”
Adams brings more than 20 years of experience in higher education administration. In addition to her financial duties will oversee the college’s physical facilities and technology infrastructure.
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Haslam College of Business welcomes sixteen new faculty members this fall. The cohort divides evenly between professors and lecturers joining the departments of accounting and information management, economics, management, and marketing and supply chain management.
The new hires bring almost 150 years of combined industry experience, coupling it with well over a century of teaching experience. They carry a global perspective, with backgrounds representing Spain, Ireland, China and Nigeria.
Accounting & Information Management
James Myers is the Dennis Hendrix Distinguished Professor of Accounting. His research focuses on valuation, earnings management, and auditing. He has published top journals including the Accounting Review, the Journal of Accounting and Economics, Journal of Finance, and Review of Accounting Studies and his papers have been cited more than 3,500 times. The joint research conducts with his wife, Linda, has been awarded the Notable Contribution to the Auditing Literature Award, the American Accounting Association’s Financial Accounting and Reporting Section Best Paper Award and an award for Outstanding Accounting Review Article of the Year. He earned his doctorate from the University of Michigan.
Linda Myers is a distinguished professor of accounting and holds the Haslam Chair of Business. She also serves as director of Haslam’s doctoral program in accounting. Myers’s research interests include audit markets, corporate disclosure, and financial reporting quality. She has published in a number of top accounting journals and her work is regularly cited by the business press, as well the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Myers has been invited to present her research at more than 20 universities in the U.S., Canada, England, Estonia, France, Hong Kong, Italy, Korea, the Netherlands, Scotland, Slovenia, and Taiwan. She earned her doctorate from the University of Michigan.
Kathleen Powers is an assistant professor in the Department of Accounting and Information Management. She obtained her doctorate from the University of Texas at Austin and prior to that worked as a tax manager with PricewaterhouseCoopers in Washington, D.C., and Zurich, Switzerland. Her undergraduate degree is in business and accounting from North Carolina State University and has a Master’s of Accountancy from the Ohio State University. Powers’s research interests include the effect of corporate governance on firms’ tax policy, investors’ use of tax disclosures and tax-related frictions in capital markets.
Amanda Warren joins the Department of Accounting and Information Management as a lecturer. A CPA, she received her bachelor’s in accounting, as well as her Master of Accountancy, from the University of Tennessee. Prior to joining the faculty, Warren spent six years in the Atlanta office of PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP.
Alycia Winegardner joins the Department of Accounting and Information Management as a lecturer. She received both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting from the University of Tennessee, and is a CPA. After a short stint in public accounting, Winegardner transitioned to private industry, eventually gaining the position of CFO of a management company in West Knoxville.
Economics
Enda Patrick Hargaden is an assistant professor of economics with a joint appointment in the Department of Economics and the Boyd Center for Business and Economic Research. Hargaden is an applied microeconomist with a focus on taxation and public policy. He earned a doctorate in economics from the University of Michigan in 2016 and previously studied at University College Dublin and Trinity College Dublin.
Management
Ifedapo (Dapo) Adeleye is a lecturer in the Department of Management. He joins Haslam after a decade with the Lagos Business School in Nigeria where he served in several senior leadership positions. Adeleye has taught undergraduate to executive education and worked in Africa, Europe, and North America. He has consulted and directed executive education programs for numerous organizations including GE, Coca-Cola, and Chevron. Adeleye received his doctorate from the University of Manchester and earned master’s degrees in economics and human resources from Cardiff University.
Shawn Carson is lecturer in in the Department of Management. He also serves as director of technical and operational assistance for Three Roots Capital. Prior to this role, he spent eleven years as director of venture development with Technology 2020, and 16 years with Knoxville-based Computational Systems, Incorporated (CSI). Carson holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial technology from East Carolina University, an MBA from the University of Tennessee, is a doctoral candidate in education from East Tennessee State University.
Eva Cowell joined Haslam’s Department of Management as a full-time lecturer. She is a Haslam alumna and earned her doctorate here in 2010. Cowell spent the last six years at Tusculum College, where she became an associate professor and chaired the department of management and marketing. She actively pursues alternate instructional exercises to engage her students and is passionate about helping others reach their full potential.
David Gras joins Haslam as an assistant professor in the Department of Management. He holds a doctorate in entrepreneurship from Syracuse University, a master’s in marketing from Clemson University, and a bachelor’s in management from Texas A&M University. His research focuses on the antecedents of business performance and competitive advantage. Within these areas, Gras explores the financial impacts of corporate social responsibility, new venture diversification, strategic decisions, and entrepreneurial characteristics.
Austin Lance is a lecturer in the Department of Management. He is president of Lance Associates and has 44 years of business experience and is president of Lance Associates. Prior to beginning his management consulting company, Austin was vice president and general manger of a global foodservice packaging division International Paper Corporation and spent 22 years with Mead Corporation. He earned his accounting degree from UT before obtaining an MBA from the University of Dayton.
Lindsay Mahony is a lecturer and interim assistant department head in the Department of Management. She received her MBA from Washington State University and bachelor’s in philosophy from Western Washington University. Prior to joining Haslam, Mahony was a lecturer at Washington State University and Pellissippi State Community College and worked as a program manager for Amazon in Seattle and as construction subcontract engineer at Washington Closure Hanford in Richland, Washington.
Roberto Ragozzino joined the Department of Management as the Haslam Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation. His research lies in corporate strategy, entrepreneurship, and international management focusing on business phenomena through an economic lens. His work has been published in several journals, including Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice, Organization Science, Journal of Management, Journal of International Business Studies, and Strategic Management Journal. Before joining Haslam, Ragozzino spent three years in Barcelona, Spain, working at ESADE Business School and earned his doctorate at The Ohio State University.
Codou Samba is an assistant professor in the Department of Management. She obtained her doctorate in business administration from the University of Houston, and her primary research stream is at the intersection of strategic leadership and organizational decision processes. Samba holds an MBA from University of Houston and a bachelor’s in chemical engineering from the University of Tennessee. Prior to pursuing her doctoral degree, she worked as a chemical engineer for five years at Rohm and Haas Company (now Dow Chemical Company).
Marketing Supply Chain Management
Randall (Randy) Rose is a visiting professor in the Department of Marketing and Supply Chain Management from the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina. Rose has worked in the retail and pulp and paper industries, consulted with a variety of companies, and is a veteran of the United States Army. At USC he served as the executive director of doctoral programs and chair of the marketing department. Rose’s research on persuasion, social influence, payment mechanisms, and various aspects of consumer culture have been published in many top journals including the Journal of Marketing, Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of Advertising, Journal of Retailing, and Journal of Public Policy and Marketing. He obtained his doctorate from The Ohio State University.
Sophie Xiao is an assistant professor of marketing. She earned her doctorate in marketing from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and her primary research interests include firms’ innovation strategies and consumers’ adoption and resistance to new products. Her research has been published in the Journal of Service Research, Journal of Business Research, Journal of Business Ethics, and International Marketing Review.
KNOXVILLE—Bring an idea and start a business with the help of Vol Court, a semiannual pitch competition and speaker series hosted by the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
Vol Court kicks off Oct. 12 with a six-week entrepreneurial speaker series. The series culminates Nov. 16 in a pitch competition where attendees put what they’ve learned into practice. Local entrepreneurs and UT faculty will cover topics including legal structure for businesses and unconventional funding sources.
Now in its eighth year, Vol Court invites UT students, faculty, staff and members of the local community to pitch their business ideas. Winners receive up to $1,500 in prize money, space in the UT Research Foundation Business Incubator, and legal and accounting services.
Shawn Carson, Vol Court director, will share his expertise from 15 years in entrepreneurship.
“Having been involved with Vol Court as a contributor over the years, I am excited about helping run the program,” said Carson. “It is a great opportunity for students across campus to get their first exposure to the world of entrepreneurship. The fact that there’s a cash prize doesn’t hurt, either.”
Vol Court has grown in recent years to include more speakers, sponsors, participants and prizes. All pitch competition participants are eligible for cash prizes awarded to first-, second- and third-place winners.
Vol Court meets every Wednesday beginning Oct. 12 from 5:15 to 6:15 p.m. in Room 104 of Haslam Business Building, 1000 Volunteer Blvd. The speaker series and pitch competition are open to the public. There is no charge to participate in the event, and anyone interested in starting a company is encouraged to attend.
Anyone who participates in the Nov. 16 pitch competition must have attended four of the following five series meetings.
Oct. 12: Business Model Canvas
Oct. 19: Legal Structure for Your Business
Oct. 26: An Entrepreneur’s Journey
Nov. 2: Unconventional Funding Sources
Nov. 9: Pitching the Concept
Nov. 16: Pitch Competition
Vol Court is made possible by donated funds and services from sponsors, which include Cirrus Insight, PYA, Morehous Legal Group, Hard Knox Pizzeria, the IT Company, Funding Sage, 3 Roots Capital and the UT Research Foundation.
CONTACT:
Carrie McCamey (865-974-5126, cbaker14@utk.edu)
Tyra Haag (865-974-5460, tyra.haag@tennessee.edu)
Haslam College of Business MBA students spent some of the last days of summer volunteering their time to a Habitat to Humanity build.
Their efforts marked the 13th consecutive year the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Haslam MBA has had classes participate in Habitat for Humanity construction.
Javier Sosa, a second-year MBA student focusing on logistics, materials and supply chain management, said volunteering at the build was a great teambuilding activity. Haslam students had already volunteered three times this semester, and Sosa participated twice. He spent one day framing interior walls and another putting up siding.
“We were split into four groups to put up the siding,” Sosa said. “We had to be careful to lock the siding down correctly the first time. If a piece was loose, we would only be able to fix it by removing all the siding installed above it.”
Tara Presnell, interim director of the MBA program, praised the students’ willingness to roll up their sleeves and work.
“Our MBA students are future business leaders,” Presnell said. “They are learning and practicing what it means to be servant leaders. I’m proud of them for realizing the importance of making our community, and the communities in which they will lead and serve, even stronger.”
Presnell said the students appreciate where they came from and respect and value the education they are receiving.
The build benefits Monica Robs, a single mother of three children, aged 15 to six. Robs’ oldest son is a high school athlete involved in football and track, while her middle child has autism.
The 2016 Barefoot Benefit, a 5K foot race and community festival organized by University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Haslam College of Business students, will take place on Sunday, Oct. 16, in Sequoyah Hills Park.
The event features music, food, games and family activities. Race registration and activities begin at 12:30 p.m., while the race kicks off at 2 p.m. The event will include door prizes from local businesses such as Regal Cinemas, and all proceeds will be donated to Samaritan Place, an emergency shelter for senior citizens.
Participants are invited to take their shoes off and enjoy the lawn of Sequoyah Hills Park, according to Stephanie Yeap, a supply chain management senior and a member of the benefit’s student-run executive team.
“The Barefoot Benefit is going to be exhilarating,” Yeap said. “Although going barefoot is optional, running with bare feet on cool grass will surely be something to remember.”
Yeap said organizing the race and festival has served as an educational experience for students.
“This has been a great capstone experience for our undergraduate educations,” Yeap said. “We also have several alumni helping out. In fact, three classes are coming together as a collective to help make the event a success.”
Ernie Cadotte, professor of learning innovation, said managing the intricacies of a real-world event provides a significant educational opportunity.
“The students break ties with the normal classroom setting and instead are challenged to create a hands-on learning experience,” Cadotte said. “Their mission is to bring the community together, both in support of Samaritan Place and to enjoy a beautiful day with friends and family.”
Community members interested in registering for the race should visit http://bit.ly/2czSSXz or www.thebarefootbenefit.org for more information.
Dave Clark, senior vice president of worldwide operations for Amazon, accepted the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Accomplished Alumni Award on Sept. 29 during his visit to the Haslam College of Business.
Clark is responsible for Amazon’s global supply chain and logistics operation. He also oversees the teams managing Amazon’s technology, including its robotics operations.
“I found my time in the MBA program at Tennessee to be incredibly rewarding because the faculty and peers that I got to work with were really special,” Clark said. “The optimization science work that I got to do with Mary Holcomb and Melissa Bowers combined classwork with work for real-world companies and taught me things I’ve leveraged throughout my career. Understanding that analytics play such an important role in the supply chain overall was an incredible gift that Tennessee gave me.”
Stephen L. Mangum, dean of the Haslam College of Business and Stokely Foundation Leadership Chair, described Clark as a prime example of what Haslam alumni can accomplish.
“Haslam alumni can be found leading and managing in complex environments throughout the world,” Mangum said. “Imagine being responsible for more than 230,000 employees operating out of hundreds of locations spread across 16 countries. That is Dave Clark’s everyday world.”
Clark graduated from Haslam in 1999 with an MBA focused on logistics and transportation. He joined Amazon later that year. He held various key positions in the company prior to his current role. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in music education from Auburn University.
The Accomplished Alumni Award, a university-wide distinction, offers notable alumni an opportunity to share their success stories on campus with current students. Past recipients have included CEOs of major corporations, Olympians, authors, artists, musicians, civic leaders and United States ambassadors.
Trent Thurman, executive director for graduate programs at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Haslam College of Business, recently announced his departure for the University of Texas at Austin’s McCombs School of Business. He will serve as director for McCombs’ master of science in technology commercialization program and a management lecturer.
After Thurman’s last day on Oct. 7, Amy Cathey, division lead for aerospace and defense graduate and executive education programs, will step into the vacated role on an interim basis.
According to Bruce Behn, associate dean for graduate and executive education, Thurman brought “energy and innovative ideas to help move the needle on the quality and demographics of our master’s students.
“We’re going into this academic year with a class that has the strongest work experience, the highest GMAT scores and the most diversity we’ve experienced in recent years,” Behn said. “I want to thank Trent for all his efforts and personally wish him and his family the best.”
Thurman, who is a 1988 alumnus, said he has loved being back at UT.
“I was given a tremendous gift to spend a few more years on a campus that changed me in so many ways, and it was especially moving to be here when my twin boys began their college careers,” Thurman said.
Thurman also pointed out the significance of having been at the college during 2014, when the Haslam family gave $50 million dollars in honor of James A. Haslam II, an alumnus and the founder of Pilot Flying J.
“Seeing the impact that gift has made on attracting top students from around the world has been tremendous and sets the MBA program on a path to significant success,” Thurman said.
“For me, looking back will always be focused on the students,” he added. “I’ve loved playing a small part in their MBA journey, discussing their goals and dreams during the interview process, and then watching them achieve those goals. That’s been the best part of my job and is what I will remember the most.”
Brittney Parker, a 2016 graduate of the Haslam College of Business, was awarded the Joseph P. Goddard scholarship on Sept. 15 at the Tennessee Society for Human Resource Management’s annual conference.
Parker, who holds a bachelor’s degree in management with a collateral in information management, will apply the $4,000 award toward her graduate studies. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in human resource management from Haslam.
“Deciding to pursue graduate school was the first large financial decision I’ve had to make where I would be solely responsible for the cost,” Parker said. “With the help from my incredible friends and family plus my own personal savings, and now with the Joseph P. Goddard scholarship, my goal of achieving a master’s degree debt-free can be accomplished.”
Parker expressed gratitude to Debbie Mackey, distinguished lecturer, director of the Human Resource Management master’s degree program and SHRM faculty advisor, for helping her secure the scholarship.
“Dr. Mackey introduced me to human resources and helped me get involved with our local SHRM Chapter, where I’ve held an officer title for two years,” Parker said. “She also matched me with both of my internships, encouraged me to pursue graduate studies and offered support and advice.”
Mackey said the scholarship selection committee looked at applicants’ commitment to the profession of human resource management and their involvement with the local students’ chapter of the SHRM.
“Brittney has been an asset to our program, her internships and the Society for Human Resource Management,” Mackey said.
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, will receive grant funding to teach technology entrepreneurship, perform research and foster innovation through the National Science Foundation’s Innovation Corps (I-Corps) program.
A public-private partnership, I-Corps was created in 2011 to train researchers to evaluate the commercial potential of their scientific discoveries. The program is offered in a “startup boot camp” format.
“I-Corps [hubs] support the national innovation ecosystem and help some of America’s brightest researchers test the commercial potential of their discoveries,” Grace Wang, acting assistant director for the NSF Directorate for Engineering, said in a statement.
I-Corps South, which started with the Georgia Institute of Technology, is being expanded to include UT and the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa and Birmingham. It will receive a collective $3.45 million over five years.
Taylor Eighmy, vice chancellor of research and engagement, will oversee UT’s portion of the grant.
“The University of Tennessee is already a leader within the state in commercializing technology invented in our labs,” Eighmy said. “We look forward to using this grant to leverage our strengths to provide even greater economic impact throughout the state.”
Rhonda Reger will administer the grant under Eighmy’s oversight. She is the Nestle Professor of Business Administration at the Haslam College of Business and research director for the Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
“The expansion of the Georgia Tech node to become I-Corps South and serve the southeastern United States will greatly accelerate technology entrepreneurship throughout this growing region,” Reger said.
The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development supports programs associated with the grant, said Randy Boyd, that department’s commissioner.
“We will be working with the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and LaunchTN, our statewide public-private partnership focused on supporting the development of high-growth companies in Tennessee,” Boyd said. “This type of entrepreneurial training will encourage and grow an innovation ecosystem in this region enhancing commercialization and economic well-being.”
Boyd’s comments reflect the stated goals of I-Corps South. The regional Innovation Corps program aims to accelerate the development of the South’s entrepreneurial ecosystems; provide for increased partnership opportunities between academia and industry; and focus on underrepresented minorities to increase their participation in research pursuits and entrepreneurship.
More information is available at: the I-Corps South website; the National Science Foundation press release about the grant; the UT, Haslam College of Business, and Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation websites; the Georgia Institute of Technology VentureLab website; and the University of Alabama I-Corps website.
Associate Director Matt Murray & Director Bill Fox
Boyd Center for Business and Economic Research Director Bill Fox and Associate Director Matt Murray told a crowd of nearly 200 business members on Sept. 8 that the Tennessee economy is expected to continue to grow in 2017.
The Boyd Center, housed in the Haslam College of Business at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, held its first economic forecasting luncheon to share what the nation and state’s economy could look like in the coming new year.
Tennessee is in the top 10 states in the nation in terms of economic momentum and one of the fastest in growth, Boyd experts said. Tennesseans are spending “aggressively” and at a fast rate, as strong job growth and lower gas prices are putting more money in consumer’s pockets, according to Fox and Murray.
The state also has consistently experienced stronger job growth than the national average over the past several years, while its unemployment rate is now below the national rate. In 2009, Tennessee’s unemployment rate reached 11.1 percent. This year, the state’s unemployment rate has plummeted to just above 4 percent. The nation’s average is just below 5 percent.
The pair also noted that Tennessee’s tax revenue growth is solid. Sales taxes, in particular, are showing strong growth at nearly unprecedented levels.
“You can see the outlook going forward is generally positive growth in the national economy and the state economy, barring some unforeseen shock,” Murray said. “We expect the economy to continue to grow.”
Ken May, a 1994 MBA graduate, accepted an Accomplished Alumni Award from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Haslam College of Business on Sept. 8.
During his visit to Knoxville, May shared lessons on leadership with a group of Haslam Global Leadership Scholars, explaining how he motivates his team members and achieves results within a corporate structure.
“You’ll find that your followers want to know honestly what people think of them,” May said. “When you do feedback sessions, keep things simple by sticking to three things. Don’t overcomplicate your interactions. Anyone can remember three things to work on.”
May, who was featured on the cover of the winter 2016 issue of Haslam Magazine, is the CEO of Top Golf, a Dallas-based company operating golf entertainment complexes in the United States and the United Kingdom.
Prior to his current role, May spent 25 years with FedEx and worked his way up to the position of CEO for FedEx Kinko’s in 2004. He credits his Haslam MBA education with enabling him to move from mid- to upper-level management. After leaving FedEx, May spent a year as president and chief operating officer of Krispy Kreme before joining Top Golf.
According to Chip Bryant, interim vice chancellor for alumni affairs and development at UT, May has distinguished himself through his personable manner and dedication to higher education.
“Ken May is a great example of what a Haslam graduate can achieve,” Bryant said. “He’s the caliber of person that brings sincerity, vision and determination to everything he does. It’s evident that he cares deeply about the people he’s crossed paths with during his substantial career, which is why we’re honored to count him as an accomplished alumnus.”
Maddie Rule, a Global Leadership Scholar and senior marketing major, reflected on May’s message about servant leadership after his talk.
“Servant leadership is really important and under-acknowledged,” Rule said. “It’s important to understand the people you lead and what their aspirations are.”
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Haslam College of Business MBA class of 2017 started the fall semester with twice as many military veterans as in previous years. Veterans now account for nearly 13 percent of the 62-person class.
“As a group, veterans have a lot of leadership and management experience and often make very good students,” said Trent Thurman, executive director of Haslam’s graduate programs. “In some cases, they’ve led troops in battle, worked under extreme pressure and learned valuable skills that certainly have business applications.”
Most of the incoming veterans are transitioning into civilian careers, while some plan to continue their military careers after earning their MBAs. Part of the increase may be due in part to the college’s decision to waive the GMAT test score requirement for veterans for the first time this year.
“We can see a lot more about their character based on their experiences rather than what a test score will show,” Thurman said.
Phil Montag, who was an United States Army helicopter pilot in Afghanistan after completing his bachelor’s degree at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in 2009, applied to the Haslam MBA program as a bridge to a career in supply chain, analytics or finance.
“The Army provided me the opportunity to grow as a leader and develop my soft skills,” Montag said. “The Haslam MBA is offering me a chance to polish those skills and make them marketable to leaders in business. It’s a veteran-friendly environment and everyone here makes the process of using the GI Bill as simple as possible.”
Tanya Cuprak, an active-duty coast guard officer, is in her second year of pursuing dual MBA and MS in industrial engineering degrees. She credits the Haslam MBA program with building her knowledge of business from the ground up.
“The curriculum is challenging, but the professors are incredibly helpful and truly interested in your success,” Cuprak said. “For the most part, veterans have the leadership and management skills they need to succeed. Almost every Haslam MBA assignment involves working with a team. You succeed or fail together.”
Chris Ruel, also a second year MBA student, is specializing in entrepreneurship and innovation. He spent 12 years in active duty service, including special forces, and owns the Prometheus Group, a personal security company.
“The military was all I had known for my adult life, so it naturally shaped my thought processes,” Ruel said. “I knew this MBA program would help shift my frame of reference and allow me to approach problems from a fresh perspective.”
UT was recently recognized for its strong support for veterans and their families in the 2017 U.S. News and World Report list of Best Colleges for Veterans. The university rose 18 spots since last year to the place of 31st among all public universities and 66th among all public and private colleges and universities.
In addition to an increased number of veterans, the Haslam MBA class of 2017 has an average GMAT score of 627, an increase from the previous two years. Thirty-seven percent of the class is female and 31 percent come from outside the U.S.
Haslam College of Business News 