This post is part of a “From the Dean’s Desk” series, where we hear directly from our UCLA Anderson leaders across the school. In today’s post, hear directly from Rob Weiler (’91), Associate Dean of the full-time MBA program.
As I reflect on the year ending and anticipate the excitement that comes with a new year, I can’t help but feel great about all that we have accomplished at UCLA Anderson in 2016. Given UCLA Anderson’s reputation for having an uber-engaged, energetic student body, it is no wonder so much got done this year!
Here’s just a small sampling of some of our biggest accomplishments:
- In late January, we held our PULSE Entertainment, Sports, and Technology Conference, hosted by our Center for Management of Enterprise in Media, Entertainment and Sports (MEMES). The sixth annual conference featured a conversation focused on the importance of international markets with Anderson alumnus Dan Beckerman, CEO and President of AEG, and panels debating the future of television and the comeback of the mid-budget film. With UCLA Anderson’s position as an intellectual center and location in the geographic center of the entertainment world, PULSE 2017 (to be held on February 10th) will again be the must-attend gathering of business professionals.
- In February, our Women’s Business Connection (WBC) and alumni group Anderson Women, brought together nearly 450 business leaders, alumni, faculty and students for the annual Anderson Women’s Leadership Summit, entitled Velocity. The overarching topic was an exploration of how women develop momentum in their careers and proactively address challenges. This year’s 2017 Velocity Conference will be held on February 3rd with the theme “Empower Together”. Based on last year’s event, this year’s is sure to be another success!
- Later in the year, we hosted Embracing Diversity, a professional conference where prospective MBAs from across the country gathered to meet with current Anderson students and alumni. The conference was the culmination of the efforts of our Black Business Students Association, Latino Management Student Association and Out@Anderson, along with many other Anderson campus partners, who brought together corporate partners like Danaher, Google, Microsoft, and Amazon who shared the importance of diversity and inclusion at their firms. At the closing dinner, Rick Welts, President of the Golden State Warriors and the first prominent openly-gay American sports executive, mesmerized attendees with his story.
- 2016 also saw the ‘birth’ of Impact@Anderson, which will serve as the hub of social change here at Anderson. We added a specialization in Social Impact, meaning students who wish to dive deep into this space will have the chance to do so. The goal, however, is to have every Anderson student be conversant in ‘impact’ and to bring this frame of thought to whatever their post-MBA career.
- In response to the ever-changing internship recruiting timeline, our MBA students took the first week of November off from classes to focus on the job search (don’t worry, the time away from the classroom was made up later in the quarter!). During ‘DOJ Week’ (‘Day-On-the-Job Week’), students traveled to New York, Boston, San Francisco, and Seattle to visit companies in investment banking, investment management, technology, and retail. While in these cities, current students were able to meet up with area alumni at evening receptions and spend the days meeting with companies they hope to secure a summer internship from. Some students remained in Los Angeles to visit with local companies in their chosen industries, others practiced case interviews, and all took advantage of this time to work on building the skills to get the summer internship of their dreams!
- And finally, in the classroom Professor Sanjay Sood once again led the ‘Google Class’, which has proven to be immensely popular with students. This partnership brings Google executives to Anderson each week to work with students in solving real issues that arise at the company. Students work on a quarter-long project and present to their Google sponsor at quarter end. This real-world educational experience is uniquely-Anderson!
What amazes me is that the above is only a small reflection of all of our accomplishments in 2016, and I can’t wait to see what 2017 has in store for us. Thank you to everyone who made 2016 such a great year for UCLA Anderson, and I wish you all a very happy new year and all the best for 2017!
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Today’s post is from Rob Weiler, Associate Dean of the Full-Time MBA Program. Rob oversees everything from Admissions to Career Services to Student Affairs. Rob is a UCLA Anderson MBA alum (Class of 1991), spending his post-MBA career working in Finance prior to returning to UCLA Anderson where he has been for nearly 9 years. |
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