Voices

Bharadwaj Kadiyala

Assistant Professor, Eccles School of Business, University of Utah

The PhD program at UTD provides a fantastic environment for learning and sharing ideas with faculty who are widely regarded as experts in their respective fields and with other highly motivated PhD students. The faculty are extremely enthusiastic about identifying and rigorously addressing interesting research problems. I feel lucky to have been a part of that environment during my PhD and it is through my interactions with the faculty that I have been able to develop my own academic research agenda.

GDI Student – Republic of Korea Company

GDI Student – Republic of Korea Company, Class of Fall 2020 (Medical Devices)

One of the most formative experiences I had in college was working as a part of the Global Development Initiative. GDI is a program where students conduct market research on foreign small and medium enterprises looking to expand their businesses in Texas. I first came across the program in my freshman year and was immediately intrigued by the chance to interact with clients from around the world.

Hui (Vivienne) Zhi, MSF SPRING 2020

I worked in the Finance Lab from Fall 2019 to Spring 2020 as a student worker. Any day I was on campus, the Lab was a must-go stop. Like we always say: “I’ll meet you at the Lab.” The Finance lab offered some great resources to current students, whether we’re working on course-related papers, case competitions, or just want to self-learn and get familiar with some financial modeling databases. Every semester, the lab arranges a variety of events to enhance the students’ experience and provides an excellent platform for students to network and talk to professionals, professors, and alumni.

Olabanji Osifowokan

At UT Dallas:

Freshman in Information and Technology Systems

What’s the best thing about being at UT Dallas?

The best things about UTD and Jindal School are the opportunities and resources provided to the students to enable them to thrive academically, socially and professionally.

What’s most surprising about college?

I don’t have to wake up so early for my classes. And I have the ability to create a schedule that accommodates my personal needs and this has been so beneficial.

How have your personal goals changed since you’ve been at UTD?

Prior to enrolling at UT Dallas, my personal goals were tied to my high school career. I aimed at being the best high school student I could ever be, but now I am aiming toward building myself professionally while also being the best college student I could ever be.

Rose Shaojun Wang, MSF SPRING 2022

In spring 2021, I worked at the trading lab as a teaching assistant. As a student who joined during quarantine, it was the first time I connected with hard-working Finance students in JSOM! I strongly recommend you step into the lab and have conversations with lab workers and students. You can study as a group and access financial tools and databases in the lab. The finance lab provides various workshops, competitions, and events, which enhanced my analytical and technical skills and prepared me for the job market. As an MS Finance alumnus who currently works for a financial service company, I can proudly say that Finance Lab helped me get this job. The tableau competition and Capital IQ workshops specifically guided me on using databases and enhancing my visualization skills. The Finance Lab always welcomes everyone and feeds their curious minds. One should enter and explore the intriguing place JSOM Finance lab is!

GDI Client Company – The United Kingdom

GDI Client Company – The United Kingdom, Company Founder & CEO, Fall 2022 (Automotive Insurance Marketplace)

The GDI program was extremely valuable, the work was accurate following the project specification and in depth. Learning weekly on our project calls gives a true feeling of progress making our calls something exciting to look forward to. Working with the students was something I had never done before, personally, it was a rewarding experience, taking the chance to talk about your business and your plans to a new audience is a fantastic refresher experience and one I would recommend.

Olivia Rogers

Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer VNA

At VNA, we have a wide variety of opportunities for volunteers, from working directly with patients to sewing and administrative projects. During the COVID-19 crisis, volunteers are a life-line to patients and family care-givers who may feel more isolated.

Asm Rahman, MS in Business Analytics

Master’s in Business Analytics, Second Year

Be prepared to allocate few hours a day to mold your cover letter to fit your dream companies. Start early, apply to many, and importantly, set your boundaries – focus on specific job title(s).

Jay Trivedi, BS in Finance and Healthcare Management ‘20

Client Services Associate, Fisher Investments

DMHP has given me so many amazing opportunities in addition to some of my closest friends. The classes from DMHP have been the ones that have brought the most memories, teaching me how to differentiate yourself at an exceptional level. This experience for me has become special and I wouldn’t trade anything for it.

Jenna O’Brien

At UT Dallas:

Sophomore in Finance

What’s the best thing about being at UT Dallas?

The best thing about UTD is that the community is open and diverse. It’s amazing to meet so many people from different backgrounds who I can share ideas with and become friends with. Jindal School has a wide range of resources and are geared to help guide me to be successful. It’s great to have such a supportive system in place for when you need it.

What’s most surprising about college?

It’s surprising how much freedom I have. It’s up to me to go to class, study and turn in assignments. No one is telling me what to do, which was definitely a shocker. Since being here, I have developed more self-motivation and time-management skills.

What is a class that you enjoyed?

I really enjoy my Business Communications class. It’s so important to know how to communicate effectively with others, especially in business. Those around you gain insight into who you are through what you say and do, and this can greatly impact a person’s future.

Kendall Quigley

Operations Leadership Development Program, at STERIS

Operations Leadership Development Program, at STERIS Capstone projects help students use their classroom skills in real-world cases, but companies also benefit from having their outside expertise to provide new ideas and solutions. All companies should take advantage of this experience.

Praneetha Pratapa

Cloud Support Engineer, Google, Austin, Texas,
2021 JSOM Dual Major in Information Systems and Supply Chain Management

I had the opportunity to do research as a JSOM undergrad and helped me to get recruited at Google, as a Cloud Technical Resident and later promoted as a Cloud Customer Engineer and even today my supervisors consider my undergrad research background as an added asset for promotions.

The new customer facing role at Google requires deep dive research about the industry and customers and the prior UTD research background helps me with my new role.

Qi Annabelle Feng

John and Donna Krenicki Chair,
Professor in Operations Management Krannert School of Management, Purdue University

During my time in the PhD program, I had the opportunity to interact with and learn from many extremely brilliant and well-respected professors. After graduating from the program, I realized that the benefit I obtained from was not just about writing several high-quality papers with them. They made me understand it is important to go deep and be broad, and they showed me a true scholar is a life-long learner who is always modest and curious.

GDI Client Company – Japan

GDI Client Company – Japan, COO & CFO, Fall 2023 (Ed Tech)

Our experience with the GDI Program, driven by a team of dedicated university students’ team and a seasoned business mentor, was remarkably insightful and beneficial. Their fresh perspectives and enthusiastic approach brought important insights to our business, demonstrating impressive professionalism and a keen understanding of our business challenges.

GDI Student – Swedish Company

GDI Student – Swedish Company, Class of Spring 2022 (Rural Broadband Development)

Thank you, Mr. Howorth! And I also want to say thank you for all the help and opportunity you provided me during the Global Development Initiative in 2022. That experience has been priceless during my job interviews as it gave me first-hand involvement working on data procurement and consultation. It was always a talking point and helped me get my current job at Murphy Oil Corporation, so I truly appreciate what you and Professor Zydorek did for us during that course! Thank You!

Oscar Urrutia

At UT Dallas:

Junior in Healthcare Management

What’s the most surprising thing about being in college?

The most surprising aspect of college is the amount of new information you learn in one hour when you go to class. There’s so much to process and that forces you to ask questions in order to understand the topic. This is critical to your development, since asking questions will enhance your understanding of objectives and the task at hand.

What is a class you enjoy and why?

I am enjoying Medical Terminology. The information I have learned has been fascinating. If I decide to pursue a career in a hospital setting, knowing medical terms will allow me to better interact with doctors and staff, while also making good decisions that support the hospital.

What is a class that was particularly hard that, in the end, you mastered?

The hardest class I have taken so far was Financial Accounting. If you have never taken anything related to accounting, the course gets really difficult really quickly. In all honesty, it took me a while to find a way to comprehend this class, but I developed new study habits and began solving practice problems to get better at recognizing different accounting scenarios. I finished the class with a good grade and with the relief knowing I was done with it.

Angelee Liou, FLP’21

Fu Jen Catholic University, Taiwan / Statistics and Information Science

I appreciate that I got this opportunity to join the Future Leaders Program. During the program, I met lots of talented people and professionals who broadened my horizons and let me know how to reach my goal in the future. I also love the time I have group discussions with teammates. Their ideas always inspired me and made me think in different ways.

Yesenia Lopez, CPA, BS in Accounting ’15, MS in Accounting ‘16

Accounting Projects, Initiatives, and Systems Senior Analyst, Toyota Financial Services

The Davidson Management Honors Program (DMHP) helped prepare to me for a demanding and rewarding career in public accounting. I received the opportunity to volunteer, travel, attend luncheons and networking events, and work with the top faculty and students at UT Dallas. These opportunities helped me develop networking skills that now help me maintain my relationships in my career. I learned to thrive in challenging environments, communicate effectively, and produce high quality work. Most importantly, DMHP helped me value corporate citizenship and team development. I use these skills daily when I interact with clients, my teams, and management. I also use these skills to promote thriving team environments where team members respect individuality while providing quality results. DMHP provided me with life experiences and lessons that cannot be taught in textbooks, and I am privileged to have received the opportunities that I did while being a part of DMHP. I continue my involvement and personal growth by being a member of the DMHP Alumni Affinity Board.

Cayla Kwee, BS in Accounting ’22

Graduate Student (MS Accounting), UT Dallas

Being a part of DMHP has opened up so many new opportunities and experiences for me. I have met many of my close friends through this program, and the professors and staff here really care about your personal and academic success. I have grown so much as a student, as a professional, and as an individual, and I am so thankful for all that DMHP has done for me.

Ariana Morales, Bachelor’s in Accounting

BS in Accounting

This scholarship allowed me to attend college without any loans. I plan to take full advantage of this opportunity and get a master’s degree in accounting along with a CPA certification. Right now, I am part of the Undergraduate Accounting Club, the Undergraduate Success Scholars and the Princesses with a Purpose organization. I hope to create lasting memories and connections while a student at the Jindal School.