
Organizational Behavior Proves Useful for MBA Alumni
Erick Campos ’18 says his ability to understand and evaluate varying personality types has played a crucial role in the development of his career, a skill he credits to coursework he completed when he took Associate Professor of Management Elaine Wong’s popular class on organizational behavior. “The Management 200 course introduced me to the six...
By Elias Almarez-Herrera ’23 |

Lifelong Film Buff Shares His Journey to Netflix
Thomas Walker ’08 recalls convincing his mom to take him to Blockbuster to buy a copy of “Titanic” at midnight, the moment it was released on VHS. When he studied business at UCR, he was a regular at the Multimedia Library, where he watched old movies, including every winner of the Academy Award for best...
By Darin Estep |

‘What It Looks Like to Dream and Fly’
When he started his graduate studies at UC Riverside’s School of Business, Hal McKinley ’19 (MBA) took most of his electives in finance. “At the time, I was planning a career in finance, but throughout my experience at UCR, I saw more doors open for me in human resources,” he says. Indeed, a door swung...
By Laurie McLaughlin |

Find Work You Love and Make a Difference
For every student wondering how they are going to find their place in the world, Tyson Avery ’96 wants them to know they have a superpower available to them as they pursue their degrees. “The one power you have that you don't know you have—or at least most don't think you have—is the power to...
By Darin Estep |

Journey to Wetzel’s Pretzels
When Brandy Taylor ’13, ’20 (MBA) headed back to college to earn a master’s degree, she was ready for a career change. “I was presented with the opportunity to return to school to pursue my MBA, and that opportunity was the determining factor in my decision to switch careers and find my passion,” says Taylor...
By Laurie McLaughlin |

Working Hard in Pursuit of an Idea
Tim Siegel ’91, managing partner of LS Capital, was recently appointed to the UCR School of Business Executive Fellows Program, an elite group of business leaders representing diverse fields. As an executive fellow, he works closely with students to help shape their careers. In 1998, Tim Siegel ’91 co-founded LS Capital, a fully integrated private...
By Darin Estep |

A World of Rocks Waiting to be Turned Over
In the months leading up to graduating with a Bachelor of Science in management information systems, Angela Marcel-Gavin ’21 recalls having tunnel vision when thinking about what career opportunities lay ahead of her. She found herself in a cycle of applying for positions, facing rejection, and mustering the willingness to apply once again. “At the...
By Elias Almarez-Herrera ’23 |

The Willingness to Never Give Up
Vonda Simon ’82, founder and CEO of SeaCliff Beauty Packaging & Laboratories, is a 2021-22 Executive Fellow, and advises students to simultaneously take risks and never give up. Vonda Simon ’82 worked hard at her career. That effort helped her ascend quickly, and she was the top salesperson at TricorBraun, one of the world’s largest...
By Darin Estep |

Business Education + Internship = Successful Career Launch
In 2012, the labor market was grim, says Diana Almendarez Colgrove ’10, MBA ’12. Toward the end of her last year of graduate school, she attended a campus career fair and stopped by the Esri technology company’s booth and asked the recruiters to share her résumé with their marketing department, even though she knew they...
By Laurie McLaughlin |

A Family Tradition, A Community Connection
Craig Blunden grew up in a family that believed in community involvement. His mother helped launch nonprofits in Riverside and, in 1956, his father started a savings and loan that would grow into Provident Bank. Fourteen years later, the UCR School of Business established the graduate program that would become the A. Gary Anderson Graduate...
By Darin Estep |