On February 21, 2014, the MBA Finance Association went on a NYC Roadshow with 23 members. We learned about the US Central Banking System at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, got to visit the trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange, spoke directly to the President of the Bank of New York Mellon, and saw the closing bell at NASDAQ.
Here’s what the members said were the best part of the trip: Continue reading
Matthew Marshall, PresidentMatthew is the Class of 2014 MBA Association President. Prior to attending Smeal, Matthew worked for 24 Hour Fitness in multiple capacities including strategic pricing analysis and 5 years as a General Manager. He spent 4 years in Southern California and 3 years in New York City where he opened a new location that included a partnership with Derek Jeter and the New York Yankees.
Matthew graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a B.S. in Economics. While there, he was a Four-Year Letter Winner and 2003 Captain of the Wisconsin Swimming Team. Matthew is currently pursuing his MBA with a dual-concentration in Finance and Strategic Leadership.
Matthew is also a member of the MBA Consulting Association and MBA Finance Association. In his free time, Matthew enjoys swimming, cycling, golf, and watching college football.
Mayur Aras, VP of Communications
Mayur Aras is the Class of 2014 Vice President of Communications. In this role, he is primarily responsible for serving as a touch point for internal communication within the MBA community, as well as working with other officers to ensure the Smeal brand is properly represented to alumni and external businesses.
Mayur grew up outside of Philadelphia, PA, and graduated from the Penn State Schreyer Honors College in 2008 with a degree in Mathematics. Prior to joining the Smeal family, Mayur worked as a Treasury Management Product Manager at PNC Financial Services in Pittsburgh, PA.
Mayur chose Smeal because of the small and tight-knit community, the vast resources of Penn State, and the numerous great faculty, staff, and current students associated with the program. Mayur is also a member of the Net Impact Club, the Marketing Association, and the Minority Association, and is pursuing a concentration in Marketing.
Michael Bassani, VP Corporate Relations
Nate Brodman, VP Recruitment
Nate Brodman is the 2013 Vice President of Recruitment. In this role, his primary responsibility is to continue the Smeal legacy through recruitment of top-level candidates. Prior to coming to Penn State, Nate spent three years the assistant men’s basketball coach at Colorado College where also worked in the student life division. He also earned his bachelor of arts in economics from Colorado College in 2009.
Nate chose Smeal for three primary reasons: the size of the student body, the resources of Penn State University, and the great people associated with the program from current students, alumni and program staff. Nate is pursuing a dual concentration in Finance and Strategic Leadership.
Elizabeth Combs, VP Marketing
Elizabeth Combs is the Vice President of Marketing. Dedicated to reinforcing and growing the Smeal brand, she works with students and alumni to build lasting equity around the program’s legacy. Additionally, Elizabeth coordinates a number of community event like football tailgates, an annual talent show, and the MBA Blue and White Ball. Want a passionate dissertation on the importance of brand in the mind of a consumer? Ask her!
Raised as a modern day nomad, Elizabeth spent the last 8 years in Washington State, when she was struck by the notion that an MBA in rural Pennsylvania would be a grand adventure. To date she has not been disappointed. Elizabeth moved from Seattle, WA, where she worked as an Account Executive at an advertising agency, managing clients like Microsoft, Safeway, and Sterling Savings Bank. Most fun project Elizabeth ever did? Writing brand guidelines for Santa Claus.
She graduated from the University of Puget Sound with Bachelors in Business Administration and Communication Studies. The experience transformed her from a California rocker to a Pacific North West hippie. She is concentrating in Marketing and Finance; with a goal of being able to talk the finance guys into giving her lots of money for fun ad campaigns.
David Kubiak, VP Academic Affairs
Dave Kubiak is the Vice President of Academic Affairs and Student Relations. In this role, he works with the MBA Program Office and Smeal Faculty on academic integrity and curriculum issues as well as with the entire MBAA Executive Board to promote a positive sense of community for all Smeal MBA students.
Prior to joining the Smeal community, Dave spent 4 years working for Massachusetts Institute of Technology as a Financial Coordinator in research administration. He graduated with dual majors in Finance, and General Management from Grand Valley State University. At Smeal, he plans to concentrate in Marketing, Sustainability, and Supply Chain. He is also a member of the Net Impact Association, Consulting Association, and the Minority MBA Association.
Joshua Mathis, VP Finance
Joshua Mathis is the Class of 2014 Vice President of Finance. In this role, he manages funding for the MBA Association, which includes developing an annual budget, overseeing the collection of MBAA dues, and working with the other MBAA Vice Presidents to efficiently distribute funds for activities.
Prior to joining the Smeal community, Joshua worked as Project Manager at Landscape II, a landscape architecture firm in State College, PA. Previously, he was Production Manager at Hoffman Nursery and Owner of Mathis Landscape Solutions. He graduated from North Carolina State University with a B.S. in Horticulture in 2007.
The small class size, outstanding reputation, and large alumni network attracted Joshua to Smeal. He is pursuing concentrations in Finance, Supply Chain, and Strategic Leadership and is also a member of the Finance Association and Net Impact Association.
Mallory Meehan, VP of Philanthropy
Mallory Meehan is the Vice President of Philanthropy for the Class of 2014. In this role, she will manage all philanthropic initiatives of the MBA program. She hopes to focus on integrating the MBA with the rest of the Smeal College as well as the University community through events, outreach, and service opportunities. Some events that will be involved in this initiative include Penn State’s Dance MaraTHON, Centre County PAWS, March of Dimes, and Relay for Life.
In addition to the MBA program, Mallory is working on completing her law degree from Penn State’s Dickinson School of Law. She has been involved in a philanthropic legal fraternity that performs community service events throughout the year and has acted as the Service Chair for the Women’s Law Caucus. Prior to continuing her education, Mallory obtained a degree in Marketing from Smeal in 2010 and wanted to enhance her business knowledge by obtaining an MBA through Smeal.
Ipsa Mohanty, VP of International Affairs
Ipsa Mohanty is the Class of 2014 Vice President of International Affairs. In this role, she works to bring together Smeal’s community of diverse backgrounds that allow the community to immerse themselves in different cultures and customs. By organizing fun and exciting events, Ipsa looks forward to creating a feeling of acceptance for each and every member of the Smeal family.
Prior to joining Smeal, Ipsa worked as a Transfer Pricing Consultant at Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu in Bangalore, India. She commenced her career in the domain of financial services and then transitioned into a role that encompassed other industries such as Telecommunication, Information Technology and Trading. In addition to fulfilling her responsibilities as a consultant, Ipsa was also a professional Indian classical dancer. She rendered stage performances and was also assigned the role of Junior Instructor at the Sanjali Centre for Odissi Dance in Bangalore.
The small, yet diverse student body, the active student associations and the conducive learning environment drew Ipsa to Smeal. At Smeal, Ipsa plans to pursue a dual concentration in Supply Chain Management and Marketing.
By Jack Greening, MBA Class of 2013
Two weeks ago, Penn State Smeal MBA and the Smeal MBA Finance Association sent down four of our own to compete in the 6th Annual University of Maryland Smith Mergers and Acquisitions Competition. The M&A competition at Smith bills itself as a “one-of-a-kind” competition that happens to be both “grueling, yet fun.” Having only now, two weeks later, fully recovered (poetic license, but still), I can attest to the fact that they really are not kidding. Continue reading
By Kenneth Holmes, MBA Class of 2009
We just had our last Mod Squad meeting and in many ways the process
mirrored my first year at Smeal. As a Mod Squad representative, I had
the responsibility and opportunity to give feedback to the faculty and
staff in real time. Once a Mod we sat with all of the professors, the
dean and a representative of the staff and conveyed the anonymous
feedback we collected from our classmates. Delivering critical Continue reading
By George H. Benham III, MBA Class of 2008
The MBA Finance Association hosted a breakfast with Robert Pasterick, the CFO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes to allow members to speak up-close and personal with a C-level executive. I took the opportunity as a member to participate in this breakfast, which quickly proved to be a great event. Robert was very open to discussing Boeing’s current business and the changes occurring in the commercial aircraft arena. One area of interest in the focus was regarding China and Continue reading
By Yi Zhu, MBA Class of 2008
I went to Sears Holding case presentation session last Thursday. Jamie Brooks, who is an associate of senior leadership program from Sears, discussed the case about the acquisition of Sears by ESL and passed along some information about MBA opportunities with Sears Holding. It was a wonderful event, especially the case Continue reading
By George H. Benham III, MBA Class of 2008
Recently, as a member of the MBA Finance Association, I had an opportunity to attend the Smeal Wall Street Initiative at the Princeton Club in New York City. This initiative was created in 1999 as a way for Penn State alumni who work on Wall Street to connect with other alumni and help strengthen ties with the University. Our membership sought to get involved with the event so we could share our experiences in the MBA Continue reading
By Preston Charles, VP Student Affairs, MBA Supply Chain Management Association, MBA Class of 2008
On September 27, in a joint event with the Finance and Marketing associations, Sears Holdings sponsored a case exercise instruction series and an information session. During the information session, Jamie Brooks spent time to teach students about the Sears culture, and their model for success. The MBA community would like to extend our gratitude to Mr. Brooks for his commitment to his Alma Mater.
Preston Charles is a second year MBA student majoring in Supply Chain Management and Strategic Leadership. He serves as the acting office manager for Office of Diversity Enhancement. He is also the acting Vice President of Student Affairs for the Supply Chain Management Association.