New dean appointed at University of Chicago Booth School of Business
Trivia, anyone? Who was named the new dean of Chicago Booth in March 2017? The answer — Madhav Rajan, who succeeds former dean Sunil Kumar, who was named provost of Johns Hopkins University in 2016.
OK, we couldn’t resist throwing a little trivia into this, since Madhav is a self-proclaimed trivia fanatic! But in addition to knowing things like the only state capital without a McDonald’s (Montpelier, VT), Rajan formerly served as associate dean for academic affairs at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business and has a PhD and two master’s degrees from Carnegie Mellon University. Read more about Madhav Rajan and his visions for Chicago Booth here.
This fall, Rajan, pictured above, hosted a Meet the Dean event at our downtown campus for the Evening and Weekend students class one Saturday afternoon. Students enjoyed the opportunity to spend some one on one time with the dean.
20/20 Alumni Experience Comes to Evening-Weekend Students
For the first time, Booth 20/20, an event that connects Booth students and alumni for a day of networking and roundtable discussions, was held for Evening and Weekend MBA students at our downtown campus. Alumni shared meaningful insights about their time at Booth and how a Booth MBA shaped their current successes. We are excited to welcome this event back in 2018!
$20 million gift from Chicago Booth alumnus, Tandean Rustandy, to support social impact center
A $20 million gift from Tandean Rustandy, ’07, was made last spring, and will support expanded research and programming in social innovation and entrepreneurship at the University of Chicago through the newly named Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation.
Rustandy’s gift comes as the center is developing an increasingly ambitious approach to research that informs best practices in organizations geared toward social impact. It will build upon successful programs such as the John Edwardson, ’72, Social New Venture Challenge, training programs for nonprofit board members, and research that advances social innovation and entrepreneurship.
This center is a tremendous resource for all Booth students who wish to make a meaningful impact on the world around them. They offer office hours in Booth’s space at Booth 455, ensuring all Evening MBA and Weekend MBA students have the ability to engage.
Big Win at Social New Venture Challenge
We were thrilled that the winner of the 2017 Social New Venture Challenge was that of an Evening MBA and Weekend MBA student team! Team Provide, which offers a software-based back office solution to daycare business owners, earned $60,000 toward their social venture. Congrats to Evening MBA students and alumni Chelsea Sprayregen, ’17, Hannah Meyer, ’17, Robert Seery, and Eve Kuzma! If you’re wondering what the Social New Venture challenge is, check it out here.
Tarrson Social Venture Fellowship
Rounding out the social innovation news is another big win for Evening and Weekend students when in June, Evening MBA students Hannah Meyer, ’17 and Matthew Davidson, ’17 were named among the first three recipients of the Tarrson Social Venture Fellowships, awarded by the Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation. Each student received $20,000 to pursue their social-centric startups full time after graduation. Read more about this amazing gift and opportunity for our students.
Chicago Booth Wins 7th Consecutive MBA Cup Title!
Chicago Booth successfully defended its title and is now a 7-time reigning champion of the MBA Cup! The MBA Cup is a yearly competition where part-time MBA students from Booth, Northwestern Kellogg, DePaul Kellstadt and Loyola Quinlan compete against each other across various athletic events (tug-of-war, flag football, volleyball, etc.) while raising funds for a charitable cause. This event caps off a series of networking, fundraising, volunteering, and collaboration that lasted for several months. Congrats to all! Check out photos of the event here.
Evening MBA and Weekend MBA Students Explore Hong-Kong
2017 brought another first for the Evening MBA and Weekend MBA Programs – a student trip to Hong Kong. In addition to visiting Chicago Booth’s Hong Kong campus and networking with fellow Booth students and alumni in Asia, these 29 students were immersed in learning experiences including visits to Bank of China, DDB Worldwide, CITIC Limited, and Li & Fung. Students did extensive research on each of the companies beforehand and arrived with well thought-out questions about each business, its challenges, and the global markets.
Professor Richard Thaler Wins Nobel Prize in Economics
Perhaps the biggest news to come out of Chicago Booth in 2017 was that Professor Richard Thaler was awarded the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences honored Thaler “for his contributions to behavioral economics,” a relatively new field that bridges the gap between economics and psychology.
He is among the 89 scholars associated with the University to receive a Nobel Prize, and among the 28 who have received the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics. In addition to Thaler, five current UChicago faculty members are Nobel laureates in economics: Profs. Eugene Fama and Lars Hansen (2013), Roger Myerson (2007), James Heckman (2000), and Robert E. Lucas Jr. (1995).
Wonder what it was like in Professor Thaler’s class in the night he won? Check out this blog by one of his Evening MBA students, Catherine Napier.
No matter what your Part-Time MBA journey looks like at Chicago Booth, your community will be there to support you.
Built in Support with your Part-Time MBA
Sarah Gulezian, Weekend MBA student and Civic Scholar, looks back at her time at Chicago Booth and talks about the highlights.
A Look Back at Booth: Sarah Gulezian
Chicago Booth alumna Shelby Wenner, '19, empowered young women to grow and learn through the power of literature.
Female Strong and Booth Book Club Empower Young Women Readers
