Top Questions – Naveen Jindal School of Management

Kelley McClain, managing vice president at Capital One and 2010 graduate of the Executive MBA program at the Naveen Jindal School of Management, will be honored Sept. 30 as one of Dallas Business Journal’s top 25 women leaders in North Texas technology.

“This achievement has validated my belief that we must continue to learn and take risks to enable our full potential,” she says.

McClain has worked at Capital One 19 years, progressing from front-line operations management to a variety of executive roles before moving into her current position. McClain notes that the opportunities she has been given to work in diverse executive roles, from business risk to technology and other areas, have been instrumental in her success.

She praises Capital One for its company culture, which, she says, is fostered by leaders who are “invested in the development of their associates and supportive of the bold choices they make in their careers.”

McClain has used technology skills in several roles over the years. As vice president of loan servicing for Capital One Auto Finance, she led the transformation of the organization’s technology, including core systems, user interfaces, data architecture, cloud migration, robotic processing automation, and more. Earlier, as vice president of home loans fulfillment operations, she headed the digital transformation for loan originations.

In her effort to continually learn and advance her career, McClain chose to pursue an executive MBA at the Jindal School.

“The University of Texas at Dallas’ Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) program was a game changer for me both personally and professionally,” she said. “Most notably, the executive coach feature of the program was life-changing — I still have several fond memories of Dr. [Richard] Miller and Dr. [David] Springate’s course offerings. Throughout my time at Jindal School, I gained confidence, established executive presence, learned to collaborate and enhanced my critical thinking skills.”

McClain said that this award has encouraged her to continue to learn and take risks in order to rise to her full potential. She referred to a favorite quote by New York Times bestselling author and motivational speaker Jon Acuff, who said, “Be brave enough to be bad at something new.”

The DBJhonor “has further motivated me to keep this message in the forefront of my mind and continue pushing forward even when the journey ahead is unknown,” she said.

“Throughout my time at Jindal School, I gained confidence, established executive presence, learned to collaborate and enhanced my critical thinking skills.” — Kelley McClain, EMBA’10, managing vice president at Capital One

The seventh annual Dallas Business Journal Women in Technology Awards seek to honor women who “are mavericks when it comes to technology and innovation, forging the way for both women and future tech leaders in Dallas-Fort Worth.”

The honorees have been selected for being key contributors in implementing or developing technology during their careers. On its hiring website, Capital One states that it is “building a leading information-based technology company” that is driven to help customers “succeed by bringing ingenuity, simplicity and humanity to banking.”

Other Women in Technology honorees with UT Dallas ties include Susan Tidwell, an Azure specialist at Microsoft who is a 2004 alumna of the School of Interdisciplinary Studies, and Toni Portmann, co-founder and CEO of Walkabout Workplace, a frequent speaker at and participant in JSOM’s Institute for Excellence in Corporate Governance events.

Meet JSOM Student Clarisse (Nhu-Quynh) Dizon

Clarisse (Nhu-Quynh) Dizon graduated from The University of Texas at Dallas in May 2025 with a double major BS in Healthcare Management and Biology from the Naveen Jindal School of Management, earning honors and serving as the commencement student speaker. She will return in Fall 2025 to pursue her MS in Healthcare Leadership and Management.

Coming to UT Dallas

Dizon’s journey to UT Dallas is rooted in a powerful story about why she chose to pursue healthcare management.

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, I worked as a clinical assistant at an urgent care clinic,” she said. “I saw firsthand how critical strong leadership was, especially to keep operations running during a public health crisis. My manager’s ability to make rational decisions directly impacted on patient care and staff morale.”

Around the same time, Dizon witnessed a rural hospital near her family’s hometown shut down due to financial constraints, which left a major gap in access to care for many families.

“Those experiences helped me realize the importance of healthcare leadership and inspired me to pursue a degree in healthcare management,” she said.

The deciding factor in Dizon’s decision to attend UT Dallas was the academic programs it offered that are focused on healthcare management.

“I applied to UTD because of the unique double major offering in Healthcare Management and Biology,” she said. “I knew I wanted to explore both the clinical and administrative sides of healthcare, and UTD was one of the few schools that offered that kind of flexibility. Looking back, it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”

Life on Campus at JSOM

Despite a busy undergraduate career, Dizon made time to connect with peers and give back through volunteering. She volunteered for two years at Texas Health Dallas, serving as Executive Leader of SERV (Students Engaged in Rounding and Volunteering) and in the Emergency Department.

“I was honored to receive the UTD Service Honors Award, the THD Undergraduate Volunteer Award, and most recently, the JSOM Healthcare Management Student of the Year Award,” she said.

She also reflects on her campus experience:

“I lived on campus all three years, and I’m so grateful I did,” she said. “I was just a short walk away from classes, events and friends, which made it easy to stay involved and feel connected to the campus community. Some of my favorite moments were simply walking around campus and running into friends — it made UTD feel like home.”

During her time at UTD, she said she was fortunate to be deeply involved in the healthcare-management community.

“I served as president of both the Healthcare Management Association and the Professional Program in Healthcare Management, where I helped lead initiatives, speaker events and mentored others,” she said. “I also co-led research for the Graduate Healthcare Leadership & Management program and served as the marketing chair for the Healthcare Management Undergraduate Leadership Council.”

Other accolades included being a member of the Davidson Management Honors Program, graduating with Major Honors, and being selected as a fellow in the Nash Honors Program, where she was recognized as a Nash Leader.

“I consistently made the Dean’s List and mentored other transfer students through the Transfer Mentor Program,” she said.

Overcoming Obstacles and Finding Success

Some of the biggest challenges she faced as a student included transferring into UTD and starting over in a new environment.

“It’s not always easy to find your place right away,” she said. “But joining organizations like the Healthcare Management Association and the Davidson Management Honors Program changed everything. I found a community of like-minded, driven students who supported each other’s growth. Those relationships helped me succeed not just academically, but personally.”

Mentorship Along the Way

The support she received from faculty members was invaluable to Dizon, especially that of her two mentors: Amye Broyles, program manager and Daniel Karnuta, director of the Professional Program in Healthcare Management.

“Amye always kept her office door open to students,” Dizon said. “She supports individual students as people, helps us feel seen and provides us with the resources we need to succeed. Her encouragement gave me the confidence I needed when I was selected as HMA President.”

She said Karnuta has given countless students, including her, tangible, real-world opportunities to grow as future healthcare leaders.

“His dedication to preparing us for our careers is something I’ll always be grateful for,” she said. “UTD provided me with all the academic and professional foundation I needed to succeed — and more. I’m grateful for the faculty mentors who supported me, the student organizations that gave me space to lead and grow, the honors programs that provided a strong professional foundation, and the fast-track MBA program that helped me build business knowledge early on. UTD challenged me to take initiative and gave me the confidence to navigate my future career in healthcare.”

Advice for Fellow Students

Dizon advises fellow students to not overlook a seemingly routine task.

“Read, read, read your email,” she said. “Don’t be afraid to get involved, even if it feels intimidating at first. Join organizations, reach out to faculty and say ‘yes’ to new experiences.”

Looking to the Future

Her career aspirations lie in healthcare and she is currently working in the field while applying to medical schools.

“I recently began my full-time role as a LEAD Associate with Parallon, part of HCA Healthcare,” she said. “It’s a one-year rotational training program where I’ll gain hands-on experience in different operational areas. After completing the program, I’ll be placed as a manager in a department that best aligns with my strengths and interests. I’m currently enjoying my rotations and learning more about HCA’s Central Support Operations.”

In addition, she is applying to medical schools in Texas.

“I’m excited about continuing to grow a career that blends healthcare leadership with direct patient care,” she said.

Dizon’s journey reflects her passion, perseverance and purpose. From her early experiences during the pandemic to leading student organizations and pursuing dual paths in management and medicine, she exemplifies what it means to be a Comet committed to making a difference. As she steps into the next chapter of her academic and professional lives, Dizon continues to embody the values of leadership, service and lifelong learning that define the JSOM community.

UT Dallas offers two different tuition plans. The variable tuition rate plan is based on a traditional plan that only locks tuition rates in for one academic year at a time. The rates on the variable tuition plan are subject to change each academic year.

The guaranteed tuition plan is a plan that locks tuition rates in for four consecutive years and protects the student against increases during those four years. This plan is designed to aid students and families in budgeting and planning college expenses.

All new incoming students will be automatically placed into the variable tuition rate plan but will have the option to lock in their tuition rates for four consecutive years with the guaranteed tuition plan.

To make your tuition plan choice, please follow these instructions on this page https://www.utdallas.edu/finance/bursar/tuition/

Yes. Once admitted and prior to enrollment, you would need to provide official documents.

You have met the English proficiency requirement, and do not need to submit an English proficiency exam for admission, if:

• Your native country’s primary language is English. View a list of countries that are excused from the English proficiency requirement through this page

or

• Your bachelor’s or master’s degree (or its equivalent) was earned through instruction and examination in English

No. International applicants who have completed an undergraduate or graduate degree from a college or university in the United States are waived from the English proficiency requirement.

A GMAT/GRE score is not required, and students have the option to submit a test score if desired. A GRE/GMAT test score will only be used for admission purposes if one is provided by the applicant.

To indicate where the official GMAT score should be sent, please follow the list of GMAT program codes or, if submitting the GRE, use our GRE School Code, R6897. (No program code is needed.)

Knowledge of calculus is required for the following graduate programs: MS in Business Analytics, MS in Energy Management, MS in Finance, MS in Management Science and MS in Supply Chain Management. Applicants who have not satisfied this requirement may take OPRE 6303 (Quantitative Foundations of Business).