The future success of the Naveen Jindal School of Management includes you.
Financial support from donors ensures that the school, its faculty and its students continue the tradition of excellence that has marked the first 50 years of The University of Texas at Dallas.
Your generosity impacts the entire school. A gift that may directly help one student allows that student to improve their educational experience, and by extension the experience of those around them. Your gift will transform the lives of future business leaders. Your financial support, at any level, demonstrates a commitment to Jindal School students and their success.
For more information, contact development officers Melissa Bettis or Megan Harrison.
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Alumni Spotlight
Farhad Rizvi, BS’11
Founder, Shamak Associate, Gerson Lehrman Group
Farhad Rizvi had a vision of combining commerce and philanthropy into one business strategy. Along with his older brother, Hammad, he created Shamak Sandals, a company that sells leather sandals handcrafted in the Middle East. But Shamak Sandals reaches beyond shoe sales.
Luis Ortiz, MBA’10
Brand Manager, North America Ericsson
As a young professional, Luis Ortiz found a way to further his company’s goals and initiatives while helping individuals in need. He developed a business initiative for Ericsson that not only met and surpassed company objectives but also helped a nonprofit organization. By looking beyond boundaries between for-profit and nonprofit organizations, Ortiz crafted a creative solution to help Ericsson increase its brand awareness while assisting the North Texas Food Bank.
Corey Egan, MBA’10
Co-Founder And Ceo, Ilumi Solutions Inc.
Egan knows what it takes to transform a vision into a successful business. After working for several years in marketing and operations management, Egan along with Swapnil Bora, MBA’11, co-founded iLumi Solutions Inc., and designed an intelligent multicolor LED light bulb that is wirelessly controlled, programmable and customizable with a mobile application. In 2010, they won the UT Dallas Business Idea Competition that the Jindal School-based Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship sponsors every year, and they are committed to transforming and improving how we use lighting.
Chris Petrawski, MS’17
Director Of Digital, Bedford Advertising
As head of digital strategy for Bedford Advertising, Petrawski is tasked with growing the digital division of the company as well as maximizing the digital impact of its clients. Petrawski earned his master’s in marketing at the Jindal School, which, he said, helped him grow in confidence and decision making. “They gave me the tools to succeed in the marketing roles I’ve had throughout my career,” he said. “This is very beneficial because I work with a multitude of clients across various industries. Understanding the role of marketing in business helps me focus our client’s efforts on activities that maximize the value for their dollar.”
Randall Tan, BS’13
Key Account Manager, An IBM Company.
Randall Tan had plenty of success before launching his academic career at The University of Texas at Dallas. Prior to coming to UT Dallas, he earned the Gold Individual Physical Proficiency Test while serving with the Singapore armed forces. As a marketing student at the Naveen Jindal School of Management, Tan was involved in the Chinese Student Association, American Marketing Association student club and served as public relations chair for the University’s sales club. He lives in the Dallas area.
Angelica Barriga, BS’03, MBA’08
Director, Global Business Process Management, Adva Optical Networking
Angelica Barriga, an advocate for bold action, believes organizational behavior is an important yet often-overlooked component in developing a business strategy. In her role at ADVA Optical Networking, a telecommunications vendor based in Germany, she oversees the business lifecycle process across global sales, marketing and service organizations.
Ernest Lowery, BS’08, MS’09
Assurance Director, PwC
Ernest has worked in the assurance practice at PwC for over 10 years. He has worked with public and private clients in a number of industries, including energy, industrial products, media and entertainment and technology. He most recently worked in a digital role, where his primary focus was helping to develop new tools to be used across the assurance practice. What he enjoys most is working with clients and his teams to complete a common goal.
Richard E. Peck, MBA’04
Senior Technical Process / Quality, AT &T, Second Vice President, Toastmasters International
Peck has been with AT&T for more than 30 years where his responsibilities include leading cross-functional teams; project management, overseeing numerous high-tech, multimillion-dollar projects annually (he is also PMP certified); and developing and reviewing project-related business cases, among other responsibilities. Peck is also Robotic Process Automation certified.
Eugene Murray, MS’03
President, W&M Environmental Group, Inc.
With more than 30 years of experience in environmental consulting and two degrees in geology, Eugene (Gene) Murray, president of W&M Environmental Group, Inc., intended to take just one statistics class to further enhance his business skills. But after one class, Murray discovered the numerous benefits of a Jindal School education and decided to pursue a master’s degree.
David Smithen, MBA’05
Americas Transactions Manager, Cushman & Wakefield
Right after graduating from college, Smithen worked with juvenile delinquents at Texas Youth Commission (now the Texas Juvenile Justice Department).
Darla Chapman Ripley, EMBA’97
Associate, Dave Perry-Miller & Associates Real Estate
Darla Chapman Ripley places a lot of importance on maintaining all networks, regardless of industry or location.
Scott Birnbaum, BS’84
Founder And President, Reclaimed Textiles Co.
Scott Birnbaum, a former CPA, founded a business that recycles items otherwise destined for the garbage heap. He established Reclaimed Textiles Co. (RTCM), which repurposes discarded textiles for new use. As president, he is active in all aspects of the company and constantly relies on skills learned while a student at the Jindal School. In addition to his 18 years in textile recycling, he has experience in defense manufacturing, transportation and publishing. Scott established RTCM based on his values regarding quality, innovation and customer focus, and he is committed to developing new means to repurpose used goods in the U.S. and in developing countries.
Corey Hutchins Woolley, MS’12 MBA’16
Senior Routing Manager, Keurig Dr Pepper
At Keurig Dr Pepper, Woolley manages a team that routes the company’s DSD (direct store delivery) trucks throughout the southern U.S., handling 50 locations and more than 700 delivery routes daily. Woolley, who completed her MBA and graduate degree in supply chain management at Jindal School, designed the companywide process for creating balanced sales and delivery route plans.
Ankit Takallapaly, MS’15
Software Development Manager, Amazon
At Amazon, Takallapaly manages a team of software engineers who are responsible for building data-driven solutions to support hiring needs for Amazon globally. “The information technology and management program at Jindal School helped me gain deep knowledge in data analytics, program management and people management,” Takallapaly says. “Looking back, these skills were an integral part of my career in the initial days. In my current role, I actually rely on all three of them equally to execute my responsibilities and deliver results.”
The Perdue Family
Connie, Caitlin and Brad Perdue
For the Perdue family, attending the Jindal School is a family tradition that stands out among many others. Parents Brad and Connie met while graduate students in the 1980s, and many years later, daughter Caitlin received her undergraduate degree as well.
Thomas Hunley, MS’90
Retail Risk Executive, PNC Bank
For some, big risks come with big rewards, and for Thomas Hunley, a decision to make a career change after several years in the information-technology sector, was a risk that led to a satisfying new profession. Hunley’s decision to transition into a finance role brought him to the Jindal School, where he received a master’s degree in management and administrative sciences.
Brittany Weber, BS’14, MS’15
Assurance Senior, EY
As a member of the Professional Program in Accounting, Brittany Weber graduated with a BS in accounting in spring 2014 and an MS in accounting in spring 2015. Through the PPA recruitment process, she was able to secure an internship and later a full-time offer from EY.
David Pate, BS’88
CFO, Richardson Independent School District
Pate, a resident of Rowlett, has spent almost all of his professional career in the service of education.
Joshua Levy, MBA’11
Program Manager, Pearson Education
Joshua Levy combined his lifelong love of teaching with the Jindal School’s project management program to map his future as a leader for Pearson Education, the world’s largest education company and book publisher. A few years into his career there, he noticed that many of his colleagues who were going places had graduate degrees.
Jonathan “J.J.” Jones, BS’12, MS’14, MBA’16
Senior Property Manager, Crescent Property Services, LLC
In his current position, Jones manages a Class A commercial real estate portfolio for Crescent, which acquires, develops and operates high-end properties alongside an exclusive group of investors and high-net-worth clients. Crescent currently has $3.5 billion in assets in its portfolio. Jones said his education at Jindal School has opened a lot of doors for him. “I don’t think I’m smarter than I was, but it helped me in my ability to creatively problem solve, navigate multiple fields of expertise and remain confident in a rapidly evolving business environment,” he said. He earned three degrees at the Jindal School – a BS in Business Administration, an MS in Supply Chain Management and an MBA.