Engagement & News

On June 23, 2023 the Cameron School of Business held our second annual CSB OAP Recognition Ceremony. Students graduating from any of our Online Accelerated Programs between Fall 2022 and Summer 2023, were invited to attend. A total of 41 graduates joined us at Sarah G. Kenan Auditorium on the UNCW campus.

Our Keynote speaker was Dr. Angelo Milazzo. Dr. Milazzo is a Physician, Administrator and Professor at Duke University School of Medicine and a UNCW MBA Class of 2021 Alumnus. He addressed students with advice about motivating others and the importance of creating a culture that keeps
employees happy and retained. His comments enforced the difference between "what's important, and what matters."

We look forward to seeing the Fall 2023, Spring 2024 and Summer 2024 graduates next summer with a tentative ceremony date of June 28, 2024!

This past May, twenty-seven Executive and Online MBA students from UNCW, along with three students from the University of Surrey, completed their international consulting project in Prague, Czech Republic. Over five days the team developed and presented recommendations to KOH-I-NOOR HARDTMUTH, a manufacturer of stationery products.

KOH-I-NOOR wants to revamp their operations in Latin America through an ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) focused operating modality. So, the company turned to our graduate students to develop a P-E-S-T (Political, Economic, Social, and Technology) analysis for the vast Latin American market, and to provide an overall strategic ESG strategy KOHN-I-NOOR can use in Latin America and as a model for future African and Asian expansions.

The team was led by Dr. Victoria Hansen (UNCW Professor of Accountancy). She was joined by Dr. Judith
Gebauer (UNCW- Professor of IS) and Mr. Chris Mahon (Surrey- MBA Director). Dr. Hansen reflected on the residency saying, "This incredible experience offered students the opportunity to not only apply what they have learned throughout the MBA program to a real-world client, but it also provided them experience working with a diverse group of teammates on a global client which had a very different cultural background."

The CSB EMBA Program was fortunate to work in partnership David Dvorsky and Pavlina Dvorska with GIOBA Consulting Programs to orchestrate this educational opportunity. Students were able to apply the education they received from coursework as well as their professional strengths and experiences to a real-world consulting project.

We asked, Daniel Sanchez, a UNCW employee and recent August 2021 M.S. in Business Analytics graduate, a few questions about his experience going through the program and what's on the horizon. Here’s what he had to share.

Why did you choose UNCW's Cameron School of Business for your program of study?
A few of my colleagues joined the same program, and I had heard great things about the program structure and pacing.

Did you have a favorite course/professor, can you tell us about them and why it stood out to you most?
All of the instructors were great, and they were willing to spend as much time with me as I needed. I loved any class that introduced me to new software - R, Python, SQL, Tableau. Most of the courses in the program featured at least one of these programs. I also enjoyed learning about more in-depth features of Excel.

How did you create your network with your fellow peers in the program and how do you plan to stay connected with them in the future?
I've connected with my cohort on LinkedIn, and I've created online accounts for GitHub and YouTube. I plan on sharing my progress and connecting with my peers through those avenues.

What is next on the horizon for you and your career now that you have earned your advanced degree with UNCW?
I plan on continuing to learn and expand my skill set. Now that I have an understanding of the analytics tools available, I would like to practice using them more. I will continue to analyze datasets and create new visualizations, joining Kaggle competitions and LinkedIn challenges.

As you look back on your experience from day one of your first class, to where you are now, what advice would you now give to yourself (or another student) starting the program?
What really helped me was finding a specific time of the week (preferably earlier in the week) to get the work mostly done. If you can knock out the lectures and at least start the assignment early, you will learn more by the end of the week.

Current students and alumni, would you like to be considered for a future feature?
Complete our short submission form here.

This past May, eighteen Executive MBA students completed their international consulting project in London, England. Over five days, the team developed and presented recommendations to The Residence Apartments, a lifestyle brand in the service apartment sector of the extended stay hotel industry. The Residence wants to expand its operations into the United States, but starting a business in another country is complex. So the company turned to our graduate students to offer strategic recommendations of where and how to enter this competitive and growing segment of the market. The CEO, Mr. Steve Lowy, was delighted with the material presented by the EMBA students.

Among his glowing comments, he said, “To have access to this many great minds for a design sprint like
this was really wonderful! The output from these students in just four full days was really remarkable and I am very grateful for the results achieved. I hope in the not too distant future that I am able to put the ideas into practice!”

The CSB EMBA Program was fortunate to work in partnership with Anglo Educational Service to orchestrate this fabulous educational opportunity. Students were able to apply not only the education they received in the EMBA program but also their various professional talents to a real-world consulting project. The feedback provided by the Executive MBAs as well as their comments on social media suggests that this was another very successful international residency for the MBA Program.

“Lifelong learning isn't just about learning new technologies, it is about learning new ways to collaborate and create. There's always something new to learn out there!” -Kim Manturuk

“I’m beyond grateful for this personal and professional opportunity to experience something I never have before!” -Kayla Jakubczak

“Extremely grateful for these awesome experiences as a part of the Cameron School of Executive
MBA program. So glad I chose to go to UNCW.” -Bradley Weatherington

CSB Executive MBA students typically expect to travel abroad to complete their International Residency requirement. But it doesn’t have to be this way and this August was a case in point. Two MBA students from the University of Surrey along with the Director of their MBA Program “crossed the pond” to partner with four CSB MBA students to solve a business issue for a local nonprofit organization in Wilmington – the Cape Fear Manufacturing Partnership (CFMP). Introduced to the MBA Program through the Small Business Technology and Development Center (SBTDC), the CFMP consists of 40+ manufacturers with the mission to grow the manufacturing base in Southeastern North Carolina. With an unquestionable need to increase manufacturing in the United States, the lofty challenge presented to the MBAs was this: “How can we change the perception of manufacturing as a career to increase the long-term interest in and pool of talented employees across New Hanover, Pender, and Brunswick counties?”.
While attention was centered on our region, strategizing on how best to address worker shortages in manufacturing is something also being experienced in the United Kingdom and elsewhere across the
world.

Over five work-intensive days, the EMBA students not only consulted the client and the SBTDC, toured the facilities of three regional manufacturers, and met with a regional economist, but they also asked numerous questions along the way. This curiosity mixed with hundreds of hours of combined research and analysis resulted in an impressive set of actionable recommendations that were presented to a large audience, including members of the CFMP, at the end of the week. One of its leaders, Mr. Jim Flock, commented, “The suggestions they proposed will provide us with a framework to guide our actions going forward. I look forward to helping implement these strategies and moving our agenda to the next steps.” The students left Wilmington not only with real-world international consulting experience but also with new friends, professional connections, and memories that will last well into the future.

Indeed, Chris Mahon, Surrey’s MBA Director said, “Surrey Business School was delighted to join together with Cameron School of Business to deliver a highly successful MBA student-led consultancy project benefiting a consortium of real businesses. This project showcased the power of diversity in expertise and international collaboration, and we are already in discussion about a future consultancy project with a company in London.”

Dear Students,

Allow me to start by saying that I am happy that you have chosen UNCW’s MBA program. I serve as the Coordinator for the Healthcare Management Concentration.

Who am I?
I attended Mississippi State as an undergraduate majoring in Chemistry. At the time I thought I wanted to go to medical school, but as time progressed in my college career,I got more interested in Business. Thus, I went on to do a MBA and MHA (Masters ofHealthcare Administration) from the University of Alabama Birmingham. After getting my MBA/MHA, I spent about 5 years in the healthcare industry working in hospitals (atMCG Health Inc and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta) largely doing Finance type roles.For instance, in my various roles I managed the capital budget, implemented a component of an electronic health record system, managed three hospital-based physician practices, and was responsible for managed care contracting and financial analysis for numerous physician practices around Atlanta, Georgia.

It was during my MBA/MHA that I really started thinking about a Ph.D. in Finance. Education runs in my blood I guess you could say. I am third generation academic since both my father and grandfather were professors (they were in agriculture/statistics). I recently learned that my great-grandfather was also involved in education, albeit not as a professor, but as an employee of the U.S. Department of Education. I am not sure what that all means other than, we haven't done anything practical in my family for generations. I say that jokingly, because I realize that providing an education (really a market for knowledge transfer if I am thinking about it as a Finance professor) is immensely practical and something that I, like my father and grandfather before me,am passionate about. The thought of getting to pass on knowledge, skills, and abilities to the next generation of our workforce is what gets me up in the morning.

Why choose a concentration in Healthcare?
The Healthcare sector makes up nearly 20% of the U.S.’s Gross Domestic Product(GDP). It is a growing field and one where business acumen and discipline is sorely needed.

Are there opportunities for professional development?
There are a couple of Healthcare related professional organizations that you may want to look into. First, the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) is the leading professional society for healthcare executives and offers the prized credential of becoming a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE). You can find local chapters of ACHE here.
Also, as a Finance professor, I have to let you know about the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA), where you can also earn professional credentials. If you are interested in finding a local chapter you can do so here.

Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions you might have.

All the best,

Ethan D. Watson

Connect with Dr. Watson
Phone: 910-962-3643
Email: watsone@uncw.edu