McCombs School of Business

Briefs

Student Journal Featured on BusinessWeek Online

Choosing the right university to pursue your MBA is a tough decision, especially when you’ve been out of the school mindset for quite awhile. Heather Densmore, MBA ’06, used BusinessWeek Online’s MBA journals to navigate her way through the process. Now she has her own journal where she acts as the McCombs correspondent, telling all about her Texas experience.

The talented writer and former Notre Dame computer science major delivers news that other prospective MBA students can use to get a sense of what b-school is all about—and what sets McCombs apart from the rest. In her bimonthly journals, she recounts everything from why she left her on-the-go lifestyle at Deloitte Consulting to head back to the books, to the overwhelming number of opportunities that now await her as an MBA student.

A recent journal entry recollects an epiphany she had during Professor Eric Hirst’s class to change her concentration from marketing to commercial real estate. This summer, she is interning at INVESCO, an investment management firm, as an acquisitions analyst in the real estate area in Dallas.

The following is an excerpt of Densmore’s First Semester Wrap-Up report:

I spent the second half the semester having breakfast and lunch meetings with fellow classmates who came from the real estate industry. I questioned them endlessly about their experiences and, like a sponge, absorbed all of their insights and perspectives. I also was fortunate enough to have lunch with Dr. George Gau, dean of the McCombs School of Business, and he kindly introduced me to several real estate professionals in Dallas.

No matter what profession I decide on, it is comforting to know that there are always classmates, alumni, professors, and even leaders at McCombs, who will offer me their knowledge and connections. At B-school you never have to go it alone.

To see her complete journals, go to http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/mbajournal/04densmore/4.htm.

Truman Scholarship Awarded to BHP Student

Lauren Gilstrap, a Business Honors Program/Plan II Honors senior, was named one of two winners from The University of Texas at Austin of a $30,000 scholarship awarded by the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation. This prestigious award is given to support continuing education and leadership training. Each year about 600-700 students apply for the Truman Scholarship, which recognizes individuals who have been identified as having the passion and leadership potential necessary to serve the public good and be future “change agents.”

Undergraduates Take First in Real Estate Case Competition

The team from the McCombs School of Business brought home a first-place award from the USC Marshall School’s undergraduate real estate case competition in early April. The team, comprised of members Steven Edwards (BBA ’06), Jeff Kovach (BBA ’05), Phillip Sable (BBA ’05), Nic Whittaker (BBA ’05) and Tiffany Youngker (BBA ’05), vied against other prominent schools, including USC, Wharton, Colorado and Wisconsin.

“These were the top students from the top real estate programs in the nation,” said a proud Nic Whittaker. “The judges said that our victory was unanimous and it wasn’t even close. It’s a credit to the faculty of the Real Estate Center.”

“The McCombs team was the class of the event,” agreed Robert Bridges of USC’s Marshall School of Business. “We are honored by the effort and talent they demonstrated.”

The case was written by Wells Fargo Real Estate Group and involved the analysis of a three-building campus office development. The students were required to consider risk mitigation, project financing, development options and a viable exit strategy. Professionals from a variety of real estate firms in the California area, including Wells Fargo offices, judged the student presentations.

John Morran, McCombs lecturer and a professional with GMAC Commercial Mortgage in Austin, served as the faculty advisor to the student team.

Demand Doubles Size of Houston MBA

More than 4,000 Houston professionals have requested applications and more than 1,000 have attended information sessions for the new Houston MBA program set to launch in August 2005. While the program was slated to admit 50 students, the heavy academic demand has allowed McCombs to increase the first class size to 90 to 100 students. This comes at a time when full-time MBA enrollments are holding steady or falling nationally. “The surge of early demand for our new Houston program reflects market trends,” says Dean George Gau, “but also pent-up demand among Houston managers for the chance to earn an MBA from The University of Texas at Austin.”

Loev Named New Director of MBA Alumni Relations

Jennie Loev was only named director of MBA alumni relations in June, but she has years of experience building the McCombs MBA community. After earning her MBA in 2003, Loev took a job as a marketing consultant and project manager at Dell, where she made time alongside her formal job responsibilities to co-chair the MBA alumni network at the company. “It’s very easy to have informal networks here—and I would never want that to stop—but I think that the McCombs MBAs at Dell group can enhance those networks,” said Loev last year. Now, as the director of alumni relations for the MBA program, Loev will bring those same relationship-building skills to bear for the worldwide MBA alumni community.

MSB Appoints New Assistant Dean and Director of Houston and Dallas MBA Programs

Lisa Kaminski, former assistant dean of the business school at Georgetown University, was named assistant dean and director of the Houston and Dallas MBA programs at The University of Texas at Austin’s McCombs School of Business. A graduate of Harvard University, Kaminski brings more than 20 years of experience in higher education administration to the position. During the last six years, Kaminski served as the assistant dean at Georgetown University in Washington D.C., where she was responsible for the non-degree, certificate and custom executive programs.

McCombs School Names Option II Exec Ed Director

David Jemison, an award-winning professor of management and a former senior administrator at The University of Texas at Austin’s McCombs School of Business, was named director of the school’s Option II Executive MBA program. Jemison replaces C. Courtland Huber, who retired from directing the Option II program this spring.

“Among executive MBA programs, Option II has a unique culture and heritage, and its director needs to have a deep understanding of and commitment to the program,” said George W. Gau, dean of the McCombs School. “Having taught in Option II for 17 years, Dave is a great choice for this role.”

For information on specific programs at the McCombs School, consult our contacts page. For media information, contact the Communications Director by phone at 512-471-3314 or by email at CommunicationsDirector@mccombs.utexas.edu.