Voices | Naveen Jindal School of Management

Jindal School students whooshing at a 5k on the UT Dallas campus

The best way to understand how the business school experience at the Jindal School can impact your life is to hear directly from the people who have experienced it themselves. JSOM alumni and current students, as well as faculty, staff members, and community partners have a lot to say about what you can expect from becoming part of the Jindal School community, working hard with your classmates and finally walking off the stage, diploma in hand, ready to advance in your career.

Testimonials

Jindal School students, alumni and partners talk about their invaluable academic experiences at the UT Dallas Jindal School of Management, providing advice, perspective, and vision. Hear about how:

the Career Management Center has helped connect students and employers;
the Study Abroad program is expanded students’ perspective on their role in the world;
JSOM PhD students are producing important research and earning faculty positions at the world’s top universities; and
exceptional high school students are making the most of their JSOM experience through the Jindal Young Scholars Program, the Davidson Management Honors Program, and the UTDserv Community Service program.

Carolina Mendez

At UT Dallas:

Freshman in Accounting

What student groups are you involved in?

I take part in Undergraduate Success Scholars. USS is a UT Dallas student group that is for underrepresented minority undergraduates. We go to individual meetings and have group events for workshops and networking. We create our own personalized success plan and as a group, do on-campus and off-campus service projects.

If you work off campus, are there things you’ve learned at UTD that you apply at work?

I work at TJMaxx as a coordinator. In my classes at UT Dallas, I’ve learned customer service skills and improved my leadership skills.

What’s the best thing about being at UT Dallas?

I think that the UT Dallas campus is very beautiful. I love seeing the modern buildings when I go to class.

GDI Student – Swedish Company

GDI Student – Swedish Company, Class of Spring 2022 (Rural Broadband Development)

I am extremely pleased that I was able to participate in the Global Development Initiative (GDI) internship program. For me, the experience was wonderful and enlightening in many ways. Having to meet mentors and interns who have their distinct individuality, but share a similar cooperative motivation was a first for me. There was never a lack of moments in our collaborations, whether we were serious about accomplishing our goals or laughing about random topics that I would have never expected to appear.

Will Su, FLP’21

Fu Jen Catholic University, Taiwan / English Language and Literature

Future Leaders Program not only provides participants with professional knowledge, but also gathers talents from different fields. During the program, I enjoyed having discussions with the speakers and teammates as everyone held diverse views on the topics. I was able to build connections with them and learn from them thanks to the program. Therefore, I recommend all talents for signing up for this program.

Haibin Yang

Professor in Strategic Management, College of Business, City University of Hong Kong

When I look back, it is amazing to see how much I changed during the four-years I spent in the PhD program at UTD. Before admission, I had no idea about academic research. Upon graduation, my view towards the business world had been fundamentally re-shaped by the theories and methods which I learned at various seminars. Thanks to the tremendous help from my professors, my time at UTD was full of fun, challenges and rewards

Marcus Baker

Sr. Manager of Donor Strategy, North Texas Food Bank

Working with a ProConnect Reach student team was a great experience for the North Texas Food Bank. Tasked with performing a cost-benefit analysis for investing in new software for our matching gifts program, the student team took great responsibility for their work knowing their recommendations could provide a big boost in new revenue. I was impressed with their commitment to the program and the time they spent learning about our organization. This ultimately helped with their final recommendation as it was based on research of similar organizations, industry trends, and revenue forecasts using existing donor data. It was a win-win experience participating in the UT Dallas ProConnect Reach program.

Bhushan Sonmale, Class of ’21

Master’s in Information Technology Management, Class of ’21

Enrolling in the Professional Development course (MAS 6102) at UT Dallas was one of the best things that happened to me at the start of my Master’s journey.

Praneetha Pratapa

Cloud Support Engineer, Google, Austin, Texas,
2021 JSOM Dual Major in Information Systems and Supply Chain Management

I had the opportunity to do research as a JSOM undergrad and helped me to get recruited at Google, as a Cloud Technical Resident and later promoted as a Cloud Customer Engineer and even today my supervisors consider my undergrad research background as an added asset for promotions.

The new customer facing role at Google requires deep dive research about the industry and customers and the prior UTD research background helps me with my new role.

Courtney Cuthbert

Director of Volunteers and Food Ministry Brother Bill’s Helping Hand

Frederick Buechner once said: ‘The place where God calls you is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger coincide.’ Never have I felt God’s calling so clear and the coinciding of my gladness and the world’s hunger more than I do at Brother Bill’s Helping Hand. Working among the poor and the marginalized in our city has truly enhanced my life and the way I see and understand the world. I have never seen greater generosity than I have in my seven years at BBHH. When both the served and the ones serving participate in a mutual exchange because both believe they have something of value to give to the other, barriers are broken, and real relationships are formed.

GDI Client Company – Japan

GDI Client Company – Japan, Chief Executive, Spring 2023 (74-year-old Spring Manufacturer)

The GDI Program was one of the essential steps for us in expanding our market to the United States, especially while we could not travel to the USA due to COVID-19. We understand that research is critical, and through this program, being in a team with Students with fresh ideas and guided by professionals with experience, the GDI Program helped us understand cultural and market differences.

GDI Client Company – The United Kingdom

GDI Client Company – The United Kingdom, Company Founder & CEO, Fall 2022 (Automotive Insurance Marketplace)

The GDI program was extremely valuable, the work was accurate following the project specification and in depth. Learning weekly on our project calls gives a true feeling of progress making our calls something exciting to look forward to. Working with the students was something I had never done before, personally, it was a rewarding experience, taking the chance to talk about your business and your plans to a new audience is a fantastic refresher experience and one I would recommend.

Jenna O’Brien

At UT Dallas:

Sophomore in Finance

What’s the best thing about being at UT Dallas?

The best thing about UTD is that the community is open and diverse. It’s amazing to meet so many people from different backgrounds who I can share ideas with and become friends with. Jindal School has a wide range of resources and are geared to help guide me to be successful. It’s great to have such a supportive system in place for when you need it.

What’s most surprising about college?

It’s surprising how much freedom I have. It’s up to me to go to class, study and turn in assignments. No one is telling me what to do, which was definitely a shocker. Since being here, I have developed more self-motivation and time-management skills.

What is a class that you enjoyed?

I really enjoy my Business Communications class. It’s so important to know how to communicate effectively with others, especially in business. Those around you gain insight into who you are through what you say and do, and this can greatly impact a person’s future.

Andin Lac

I chose UTD because it is such a communal campus. Everyone is so accepting and open-minded which makes me feel safe and welcome everywhere on campus.

Jacob Gonzalez, BS in Accounting

BS in Accounting

I was admitted to The University of Texas at Dallas and offered the JYSP scholarship. Without this scholarship, that you so generously helped fund, I probably wouldn’t have gone to college. Now, the opportunities are endless, and my goals of becoming a CPA and working for the FBI are closer than ever before.

Dayton Greene

At UT Dallas:

Freshman in Finance

What’s most surprising about college?

At the start of college, I assumed that my professors would be rigid and tough to deal with, but they have all been very helpful and have made some of my more difficult courses much more manageable.

What is a class that was particularly hard that, in the end, you mastered?

I like learning about history but the history course I took required a heavy amount of reading and a paper based on a book that was repetitive and ponderous. However, I put in the work, studied and ended up with an A+ on the paper and an A- in the class overall. I did enjoy learning about the different topics presented, but it did take up the bulk of my study time.

How have your personal goals changed since you’ve been at UT Dallas?

My personal goals really haven’t changed much. I simply want to do the best that I can in all of my classes.

GDI Student – Canadian Company

GDI Student – Canadian Company, Class of Fall 2020 (Renewable Energy)

We have conducted market research with the GDI program to help an overseas partner company, to establish a business in the U.S. Through this three-month-long program, not only for the oil & gas industry, but we also gained knowledge for the landfills, telecom, and agriculture industries. I am grateful to be part of the GDI program. Thank you to the University of Texas at Dallas, Center for Global Business for the learning opportunities and support to complete the materials. I discovered so much about the industries in Texas that I did not know about before.

Subodha Kumar

Distinguished Fellow of the Information Systems Society, INFORMS
Paul R. Anderson Distinguished Chair Professor,
Marketing and Supply Chain Management,
Fox School of Business, Temple University

The PhD program at the Jindal School of Management prepared me for a successful career in academia. During my doctoral studies, I was fortunate to interact with brilliant professors from different disciplines. They helped me understand how to conduct high-impact research, and mentored me on how to effectively teach. I feel very privileged to have earned my PhD at the Jindal School of Management.

Kendall Quigley

Operations Leadership Development Program, at STERIS

Operations Leadership Development Program, at STERIS Capstone projects help students use their classroom skills in real-world cases, but companies also benefit from having their outside expertise to provide new ideas and solutions. All companies should take advantage of this experience.

Christopher Adkins

At UT Dallas:

Sophomore in Information Technology and Systems

What student groups or organizations are you involved in?

I enjoy being part of some great organizations. I am a board member for Helping Hands, a volunteer service organization that addresses domestic violence. I am also a Nova Ambassador for Jindal School. With Nova, I serve on panel discussions and lead visitor tours.

What’s the best thing about being at UT Dallas?

If you want to, there’s plenty of ways to make a big impact on campus, and I enjoy that a lot. I have the opportunity to participate in theater and I play club and intramural sports. UTD and Jindal School give students tools needed to succeed – from the Career Management Center to multiple ways to get academic support.

What is a class that was particularly hard that, in the end, you mastered?

My first Jindal School class was Business Law. Honestly, it was quite intimidating. But I really enjoyed the class, and the professor was the best I could have had going into my first year in college. I really appreciated his class and teaching style, and it made me want to work harder.

Timothy Pan, FLP’19

Software Engineer, OTSO FINTECH

Future Leaders Program is more than broadening our horizons and experiencing American culture. It’s arguably a life-inspiring journey.

We did an incredible aptitude test digging into our leadership style to know ourselves better; we were trained to swiftly organize our thoughts and bravely deliver speeches to 80+ people; we also mastered our resume writing skills during lectures and had great inspirations with several prominent entrepreneurs and business managers.

This leadership program is certainly one of the most educational and enlightening courses to the best of my recollection.

GDI Client Company – Sweden

GDI Client Company – Sweden, Company Co-Founder, Spring 2022 (Rural Broadband)

We took part in the GDI program in 2022. The students who worked with us were very helpful in providing market data that assisted us in our further work for entering the USA market. We would recommend any company, globally, that considers approaching the USA market to take advantage of the facilities and services a GDI Student Project Team can provide.

See all Testimonials

Alumni Spotlights

Jindal School has more than 46,000 alumni worldwide who work in industries as diverse as renewable energy, Big 4 accounting firms, healthcare and nonprofits. Alumni have gone on to medical school, law school and to other universities as professors and researchers. They have started companies and impacted their industries in countless ways.

The graduates featured below have agreed to share the story of their Jindal School experiences. If you are an alumnus and would like to share your story, please contact Jeanne Spreier. If you’d like to find alumni you went to school with, join www.jindalconnect.com.

Tina T. Hoang, BS’09

Financial Advisor, Northwestern Mutual

Hoang, who graduated cum laude with a Business Administration degree, says her degree gave her the knowledge, resources and connections to help people with their financial planning needs. “It helped me build character, business acumen and find the passion for what I do now,” she says. She says she is proud her work will impact families and businesses now “and last … on into the following generations.” She was recently selected as one of 60 representatives nationwide to attend a special fast-track program for young advisers in Milwaukee. While there, she took part in the challenge course.

Matthew A. Thompson, BS’12

Automation Marketing Manager, StructuredWeb

Matthew A. Thompson, who majored in marketing, moved to New York City soon after graduation. Once there, he landed a job at ALM, a specialized business news and information company largely focused on the legal community.

MS in Supply Chain Management student Abinav Bayya stands outside UT Dallas with the magnolia trees.

Turning Adversity into Achievement: Abinav Bayya’s Academic Transformation

Abinav Bayya came to the Naveen Jindal School of Management to pursue his Master of Science in Supply Chain Management. After a turbulent first semester, Bayya found himself on academic probation.

Walter L. Sutton, Jr. , PhD’89

Adjunct Faculty, Consultant

Dr. Sutton, who earned his PhD in Business Policy and Strategy when Jindal School was just 14 years old, now serves on the school’s adjunct faculty, teaching Business Law. He’s had a far-ranging career that includes staff legal positions with oil and gas companies as well as Walmart; with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (in Dallas) and a presidential appointment to the Federal Highway Administration (in Washington, D.C.); and as chief of staff at UT Dallas.

Gerald Youngblood, MBA’10

Director, North America Marketing Advanced Micro Devices

Gerald Youngblood, a graduate of the Professional MBA Online program, credits the Jindal School with preparing him to progress beyond the traditional business environment and into the wireless workplace. He now manages marketing and strategy development at Advanced Micro Devices, a multinational technology company that designs and integrates technology for intelligent devices, such as personal computers, tablets, game consoles and cloud servers.

Dustin Gadberry, BS’07

Chief Executive Officer, Gadberry Construction Company, Inc.

Gadberry is in his second decade in the construction business, having launched his company in 2000. He grew the business while completing his degree at The University of Texas at Dallas.

Lauren Hayes, BS’07, MS’08

Director, Baker Tilly

Lauren Hayes attended UT Dallas for her bachelor’s in accounting degree and for what was then known as the master’s in accounting and information management degree, graduating in December 2007 and 2008, respectively.

Steven P. Nelson, MBA’89

Director, Ecosystem and Marketing Platformsfreescale Semiconductor

When Steve entered the Jindal School’s MBA Program, he decided to stray from his engineering background and pursue a concentration in marketing. That unlikely decision uncovered a new passion and ultimately shifted his career path.

Randall Tan, BS’13

Key Account Manager at Softlayer, 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.

Joe Warren, BS’11

Software Engineer, USAA

Each day, I strive to use best practices, creating beautiful and accessible experiences for our internal and member-facing systems.

Allen Mueller, MBA’15

Senior Analyst, Fuel Strategy, Vistra Energy

Mueller, a recent Jindal School graduate, has spent a decade in mining engineering and operations, most recently at Luminant Energy in Dallas and Martin Marietta Materials in San Antonio. He earned his undergraduate and master’s degree in mining engineering at Southern Illinois University.

Gigi Bryant, GLEMBA’02

Business Development Consultant, GMSA Management Services

Throughout her life, Gigi Bryant has overcome adversity – spending more than a decade in the foster care system. Since then, she has dedicated herself to serving others. She has started her own business consulting firm, established a foundation to assist youth in the foster care system and devoted her free time to volunteer work.

Michelle Ketsler, MBA’14

Senior Manager, Vistra Energy

Michelle Ketsler, whose MBA studies included a concentration in finance and strategic management, is the senior manager for demand management and account service management at Vistra Energy. She is responsible for establishing and managing the governance of Vistra Energy’s retail technology investment portfolio and ensuring approved projects are aligned with the company’s strategy.

Chanel Ebanks-Texada, BS’16

Watson Customer Engagement Account Executive, IBM

Ebanks-Texada has launched her career at IBM, where she is prospecting and generating business in the public sector.

Jessica Pillado Gonzalez, BS’10

Vice President, Santander Consumer USA

Gonzalez is vice president of the U.S. operational strategy and digital transformation team at Santander Consumer USA. In her role, Gonzalez’ team is focused on enhancing business performance and fintech solutions. She manages relationships with key partners and global digital leaders as the digital liaison for Santander Consumer.

Harrison Coney, BS’12

Information Security Officer, Cognosante

I enjoy the fact that every day I come to work, it is an opportunity for me to experience and learn something new. It is an ever-change profession.

Glenn Egelman, MD, FACP, MS’08

Medical Director, Tricare; Defense Health Agency Headquarters

An unanticipated, unpredictable, traumatic healthcare issue has significantly reshaped my professional life.

Craig Weigel, MBA’03

Human Resources Director, PepsiCo

Weigel, an HR professional for more than 18 years, has worked for multiple Fortune 100 global companies in various roles, including recruiting, mergers and acquisitions, compensation, and business partnership. He is most proud of his short-term projects in Asia and Europe, which broadened his cultural awareness and global business knowledge.

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.