In this episode, which is a recording of a virtual event, we talk with 4 of our current MBA students who served or are serving in the US military, all second-year students: Kayla Vickers, Jason Hedrick, Mason Strain, and Allan Wiltshire. They are coming to the end of their time here in the program and had a lot to share about their experiences. Listen in to hear more about what they did before the program and what they will be doing post-MBA (and how they got there!). Kayla Vickers was serving a...
Mar 02, 2022•50 min•Season 4Ep. 5
In this episode, we talk with Chad Mandala, Ph.D candidate and director of the University’s Pride Center about his work supporting queer and trans students, Pride Center history, and what the Pride Center offers today. What many people don’t know is that UGA holds an important place in gay history. Fifty years ago this November, UGA was home to the first student organization in the university system supporting gay students – The Committee on Gay Education (CGE). In the spring of 1972, they sued ...
Jan 18, 2022•39 min•Season 4Ep. 4
In this episode, we are sharing the recording of a recent live event with 4 of our international students: Franklin Nwachukwu, MBA ’23; Priscilla Miuiane MBA ’23; Aakash Khadka, MBA ’23; and Vishakha Tiwari, MBA ’22. We had a lively and candid conversation about their experiences as students in the program. Listen in to learn more about how the curriculum prepares them for their internships, how the MBA/MSBA STEM track will prepare them for careers in the US, and what it’s like living in Athens....
Jan 11, 2022•1 hr 11 min•Season 4Ep. 3
In this episode, we are sharing the recording of a recent live event with 4 of our students of color and members of the Black MBA student group: Nick Collins MBA ’22; Gbenga Enoch, MBA ’22; Priscilla Miuiane MBA ’23; and Kayla Vickers MBA ’22. We had a lively and candid conversation about their experiences as students in the program and as students of color at a predominantly white institution. For more information about the history of Black students at UGA, check out this digital archive from t...
Jan 04, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Season 4Ep. 2
In this episode, I am sharing the recording of a recent live event with 3 of our female students and members of the Graduate Women’s Business Association: Colleen Kelleher MBA ’22; Gayatri Belhekar, MBA ’23; and Callie Weir, MBA ’23. They were very candid in sharing about their experiences in the program to date and how they overcame the challenges they have faced so far. Listen in to hear about their journeys. Connect with Admissions by signing up for a 1-on-1 appointment , register for any of ...
Dec 21, 2021•57 min•Season 4Ep. 1
Welcome back to Dawgs on Top! With Season 4, we want to broaden the scope while also focusing on a theme. Diversity is top of mind to many of us and a critical piece of any MBA program. In the Full-Time MBA program, we know we are responsible for offering the best possible experience to all of our students and we will not succeed at that unless we continually strive to expand our efforts to be more diverse, more inclusive, more equitable and better attuned to creating a welcoming environment for...
Dec 14, 2021•5 min
In this episode, we talk with two staff members with UGA’s University Health Center: Kristin Groft, Senior Communications Coordinator, and Liana Natochy, their Alcohol and Other Drugs Education Coordinator. The UHC has about 300 staff serving the University’s 37,000 and 10,000 staff and has been serving the University for over 100 years. They provide a wide range of services and programming, from primary care to virtual yoga, all aimed at keeping the University community healthy. As you might ex...
Apr 08, 2021•56 min•Season 3Ep. 12
In this final episode of the season, we talked with Jake Mosley, Director of Student Engagement and two second year students, Emylee Connally and Lily Waldron, about our Leadership Fellows program. Leadership development is an integral part of our MBA program, especially since students are getting an MBA to become better managers and leaders. We’ve had a leadership development program for many years now, and it has evolved over time to meet the needs of the market and our students. Like the rest...
Dec 09, 2020•43 min•Season 3Ep. 11
In this episode, we talked with Jiwon Park, MBA Career Training & Development Specialist, and Siddhant Agarwal, MBA Class of 2021, about what Athens, UGA and the program offer our international students. International applicants are often making the decision of where to apply and attend without the opportunity to visit the program and meet people in person. This adds additional stress and uncertainty to an important life decision. Athens is a great place to live and UGA is an impressive inst...
Dec 01, 2020•39 min•Season 3Ep. 10
In this episode, we talked with Jake Mosley, Director of Student Engagement and Travis Hawkins, a second year student, about our curriculum and concentration offerings and how those align with career paths. With 9 concentrations and 3 areas of focus, our students choose from a menu of required and elective courses to design their individual programs of study. This flexibility of elective offerings allows our students to mindfully customize their academic experience so that they can position them...
Nov 24, 2020•55 min•Season 3Ep. 9
In this episode, we talked with Jake Mosley, Director of Student Engagement and 2 of our current students, John Davis and Alex Foye, both Class of 2021, about the applied learning opportunities in the program. Besides our Leadership Fellows and Non Profit Board Fellows programs, our students engage on real world projects with Atlanta- and Athens-area corporations, small businesses and local non-profits. In the last 3 years, they have completed about 70+ projects. In addition, students complete a...
Nov 17, 2020•53 min•Season 3Ep. 8
In this episode, our Admissions Director talked with Emily Nicholos, Associate Director of Corporate Relations and 2 of our current students, Ashlee Azziz, MBA '22, and Alex Meier, MBA '21, about how COVID has changed networking and recruiting and how the program and our students have adapted. These changes have also impacted companies and recruiters, so we are all learning as we go and we are all in this together. COVID has presented all of us with many challenges, but MBA students are designed...
Nov 10, 2020•42 min•Season 3Ep. 7
In this episode, the Admissions Director and two of our first year students, Ashlee Azziz and Luke Rabun, talk about how to prepare for the admissions interview and how similar they are to job interviews. The interview is an important step in the MBA Admissions process, and in the time of COVID, there are new things to think about and plan for. We share our experiences and pro tips on what to do and what not to do. You can also watch the slides with the audio from this episode. Connect with Admi...
Nov 03, 2020•47 min•Season 3Ep. 6
In this episode, Cara Sonnier, Associate Director of MBA Admissions, talked with 3 of our current students, Matt White, Ashlee Azziz, and Stephen Eppling, about living in Athens. Athens is consistently rated as one of the U.S.’ best college towns with great food, great music, and great people! It is only an hour from Atlanta, one of the largest business hubs in the U.S., so there is easy access to a major city and the benefits of a smaller town like lower cost of living and less traffic. Also kn...
Oct 27, 2020•54 min•Season 3Ep. 5
The Fall 2021 application is live, we are 4 weeks into the semester, and first year students are prepping for this week's virtual National Black MBA Association Conference and Career Fair. It's a busy time in the program and also a good time to share information about the application. In this episode, Cara Sonnier, Associate Director of MBA Admissions, and two first year students, Gbenga Enoch and Luke Rabun, join Deirdre Kane, Director of MBA Admissions, to talk about their experience so far as...
Sep 23, 2020•35 min•Season 3Ep. 4
Summer for an MBA student is synonymous with completing an internship, especially for those making career transitions. An internship is a 10-week job interview for both the student and the employer and a great opportunity to apply new skills and knowledge in a real world setting. In this episode, we talk with Emily Nicholos from Career Management and three of our second year students about their internships in marketing, finance, and private equity. Learn more about the Georgia MBA and find us o...
Sep 09, 2020•41 min•Season 3Ep. 3
This podcast started at the beginning of the pandemic as an effort to bring stories about the Georgia MBA program and Athens to incoming students and prospective applicants. Then on May 25th with the murder of George Floyd, the nation added civil unrest to a horrible pandemic. This country is experiencing an imperfect storm of pain and suffering. As a program and as individuals, we often feel overwhelmed. Every day feels like stepping into a void where so much is uncertain and so much needs to c...
Aug 10, 2020•1 hr 14 min•Season 3Ep. 2
This podcast started back in May when working virtually became a way of life for the MBA program staff. In season one, we talked about football, going to South Africa, the student veterans experience, our non profit board fellows program and the support provided by our career management staff. In season two, we learned more about Athens’ creative economy, philanthropic community, and talked with some business leaders. Since August is here, it's time to get ready to go back to school! Growing up,...
Aug 04, 2020•51 min•Season 3Ep. 1
In this last episode of Season Two, Town & Gown, we interviewed the owners of The Rook and Pawn , Athens’ downtown gameboard café, Tim and Carrie Kelly. They came to Georgia to attend the University, loved Athens and decided to stay. The Rook and Pawn grew out of their passion for board games and has become a community hotspot. They share the challenges of running a business while juggling careers, children, and COVID-19. Learn more about the Georgia MBA and find us on Instagram , Twitter , ...
Jul 28, 2020•37 min•Season 2Ep. 6
Jittery Joe's Coffee opened in 1994 on Washington St. near the 40 Watt Club and was open 24 hours a day to serve everyone: students, townies, and artists. Since then, it has grown into a roaster on Barber Street and 14 locations where everyone can get their fix. It is also a community fixture and institution, lending its support to causes, events, and organizations as part of its mission. Charlie Mustard, Head Roaster Extraordinaire and one of 3 owners, has perfected his craft while growing the ...
Jul 21, 2020•41 min•Season 2Ep. 5
With its Get Comfortable , Get Artistic , and Brew For One campaigns, Creature Comforts Brewing Co. has given $2M back to non-profits in the Athens community since opening in 2014. They are redefining community giving and through their downtown location, they have literally and figuratively created space to do wonderful things. In this episode, we talk with Madeline Bates and Ally Hellenga. Madeline Bates oversees the Get Artistic community impact program at Creature Comforts Brewing Co. She is ...
Jul 14, 2020•45 min•Season 2Ep. 4
You can’t talk about Athens without talking about food. Athens has many fantastic restaurants, eateries, and amazing chefs. Athens is a fun place for foodies, but it also a food desert for many of its residents. Rashe Malcolm, chef and owner of Rashe's Cuisine, works at the intersection of food and community development. Her food truck is almost ready to hit the road and she also runs 4 non-profits serving the community, 2 of which are: Farm To Neighborhood, a mobile farmer's market and the Culi...
Jul 07, 2020•41 min•Season 2Ep. 3
In this episode, we will be talking with one of our Non Profit Board Fellows Program partners. Sarah McKinney is Executive Director of the Athens Area Community Foundation (AACF). The AACF was one of the founding partners of the Non Profit Board Fellows Program. Their mission is to help passionate donors leave permanent legacies, foster strategic philanthropy, and shape effective responses to community needs through collaboration. Sarah earned an MSW from the University of Georgia after which sh...
Jun 30, 2020•35 min•Season 2Ep. 2
In today's episode, we talk with Dr. David Sutherland, a senior lecturer in Entrepreneurship at the Terry College of Business. David has been an entrepreneur, a corporate executive, and a trusted advisor to a set of companies that have achieve significant business growth success. He is deeply involved in the Athens creative community as a co-founder of Athensmade and FourAthens and as an executive produce of the Athens Rising documentaries, among other involvements. He is also a mentor and advis...
Jun 23, 2020•32 min•Season 2Ep. 1
After 14 weeks of working from home and recording Season One, The Rona Files, it’s time to shift gears and explore some new topics. The pandemic is by no means over, though Athens has started to ease restrictions and the University has begun its phased re-opening, so now is a good time to make the transition to season two. In this season, we will talk with different community leaders and individuals who help make Athens as special as it is. Athens is a wonderful city and by no means perfect and ...
Jun 23, 2020•11 min
In this episode, we talk with Andrew Salinas, Corporate Engagement Manager, and two recently graduated students, Jillian Farr MBA '20 and Rob Grabowski MBA '20, about our Non Profit Board Fellows Program and their experience serving on two board with an educational mission, Books for Keeps and the Foundation for Excellence in Public Education in Clarke County, GA. The Non Profit Board Fellows is one of our experiential learning opportunities that fulfills the community service requirement and al...
Jun 16, 2020•56 min•Season 1Ep. 10
Earning an MBA is not just about the academics. It is also a 2-year commitment to the next phase of your career. In this episode, Emily Nicholos, Associate Director of Corporate Relations, talks with Deirdre Kane, Full-Time MBA Admissions Director, about how students engage - and should engage - with the staff of the Career Management Center. She also discusses what they do to support our students in the job search and how they connect students to the UGA and Terry alumni networks. Learn more ab...
Jun 09, 2020•42 min•Season 1Ep. 9
What is the experience like for student veterans in the MBA program at the University of Georgia? In this episode, we talk with three of our current rising second years about their transition from the military to graduate school. John Davis, MBA '21, served in the Coast Guard and also completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Georgia; this summer he is interning with Verizon. Travis Hawkins, MBA '21, served in the Army and is interning with Deloitte this summer. Joseph Tereniak, 'M...
Jun 03, 2020•59 min•Season 1Ep. 8
In this episode, we share Prof. Maja's presentation from the first annual Graduate Women's Business Association Summit in February 2020. Prof. Maja is a sociologist, author, and confidence-researcher. Her TEDx Talk “How Apologies Kill Our Confidence” was featured by TED IDEAS in their 2019 article “Do You Say ‘Sorry’ too Much?” She is also a regular guest expert on television. Professor Maja is an apology-hater, a recovering make-up addict and she has a major issue with the word humble. To deal ...
Jun 03, 2020•1 hr 24 min•Season 1Ep. 7
This March, 30 of our students travelled with faculty and staff to Cape Town, South Africa, and engaged with local businesses on short term consulting projects. They also spent time exploring the area and learning about the culture. Your host today is Cara Sonnier, Associate Director of Full-Time MBA Admissions, and she is joined by Alex Meier MBA ’21, Travis Hawkins MBA ’21, and Kobby Amoah PharmD/MBA ’20.
May 26, 2020•49 min•Season 1Ep. 6
