School News
WSB Travels Across the Country
Business Badgers from around the country had the chance to hear from WSB faculty and network with fellow alumni at WSB’s Wisconsin at Work events held in Denver, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Madison throughout Spring 2019.
WSB speakers at the events were:
- Mark Eppli, director of the James A. Graaskamp Center for Real Estate, who spoke about his research on long-term investments and how they can impact retirement portfolios.
- Michael Brennan, the Irgens Executive Director of the James A. Graaskamp Center for Real Estate, who provided an overview of current macroeconomic conditions.
- Justin Sydnor, associate professor and the Leslie P. Schultz Professor in Risk Management and Insurance, who offered insights into health care choices people make.
WSB Launches Three New MS Programs
The Wisconsin School of Business added three new specialized master’s programs that will begin in Fall 2019, expanding its menu of educational offerings to match changing workforce needs.
The School now offers MS programs in business analytics, real estate, and supply chain management, in addition to its nationally recognized undergraduate, graduate, PhD, and professional development programs.
Designed as one-year programs, the new MS offerings enable recent graduates or early-career professionals to gain targeted expertise and valuable contemporary skills to boost near-term employment prospects, long-term career trajectory, and earnings potential.
“We identified a strong demand for these three new programs by working with employers, students, advisory board members, and industry leaders,” says interim Albert O. Nicholas Dean Barry Gerhart. “These innovative programs address a market need and are built on a rich history of top-ranked specialized offerings at WSB.”
WSB’s New MS Degrees
- Master of Science-Business: Supply Chain Management
- Master of Science-Business: Operations and Technology Management: Business Analytics
- Master of Science-Business: Real Estate and Urban Land Economics: Real Estate
Washington Post Reporter Visits WSB
Jonathan O’Connell (BA ’01) of The Washington Post had a busy three-day visit to WSB in March 2019 as Business Writer in Residence, discussing topics such as corporate responsibility, the retail landscape, and Amazon’s HQ2 search.
O’Connell, who has been with The Washington Post since 2001, covers economic development with a focus on commercial real estate. He moderated three public panels featuring WSB faculty, met individually with faculty about their areas of expertise, and held discussions with students at WSB and across campus.
The Business Writer in Residence program brings journalists of national stature to WSB. Last year David Brancaccio of public radio’s Marketplace Morning Report came to WSB. Other past writers in residence have included Yuki Noguchi of National Public Radio and Jason Zweig of The Wall Street Journal.
Alumni Create Business Badger Pipeline at Goldman Sachs
Just a couple of years ago, UW–Madison interns were few in number at Goldman Sachs. Now, 15 Badgers will head to the global investment banking firm this summer thanks to an alumni-led effort to bring them to New York.
A growing, collaborative movement by Badger alumni at the firm to recruit on campus, network with students, and help prepare them for interviews has made a tangible impact. This summer, Goldman Sachs hired more interns from UW–Madison than any other university that has an alumni-led recruiting effort.
“It’s hard to even get the conversation started if you don’t have an alum touchpoint,” says Alexis Pae (BBA ’18), who was a Goldman Sachs intern in Summer 2017 and joined the firm after graduation. “Not only do these alumni help you get in the door, they help you progress once you’re there. I think that’s something that’s really special about Wisconsin.”
Danny Robbins (BA ’06), vice president of the investment management division at Goldman Sachs, has led the firm’s WSB recruitment in recent years and understands the power in numbers.
“It’s alumni banding together, taking initiative, identifying talent, and then promoting that talent,” he says. “That’s the secret sauce in how you can move the ball forward.”
— Alexis Pae (BBA ’18)
MBA Programs Rise in Rankings
Two Wisconsin MBA programs moved up in rankings released by U.S. News & World Report this winter. The Wisconsin Full-Time MBA Program tied for 35th, up two places from last year, and ranked 14th among public institutions. The Wisconsin Evening MBA Program ranked 22nd, rising 10 spots, and 13th among public institutions.
Out of more than 500 accredited business schools in the United States, WSB is among the few with three degree programs ranked among the best in the nation, including our BBA program, which is ranked 18th overall and eighth among public institutions.
