The ExecMBA Podcast
A podcast about UVA Darden’s Executive MBA Program.
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ExecMBA Podcast #430: In Conversation | Nikki Hastings, President, CvilleBioHub
In this special edition of the podcast, we catch up with Nikki Hastings. Nikki is President of CvilleBioHub, an organization founded in 2016 focused on connecting founders, scientists, and investors across Central Virginia, helping life sciences and medtech companies commercialize and grow. We talk with Nikki about what attracted her to the life sciences industry, the biotech scene in Charlottesville, what she's looking forward to in the months ahead and more. For more insights, tips, and stories about the Darden experience, be sure to check out the Discover Darden Admissions blog and follow us on Instagram @dardenmba.
ExecMBA Podcast #429: Executive MBA and Part-Time MBA Application Launch Episode
<p>The applications for Darden’s Executive MBA and Part-Time MBA classes enrolling August 2027 are now live! To mark the occasion, we catch up with Zoe Mayfield Boykin, Associate Dean of Admissions, Professional Degree Programs, to talk about this year’s applications, guidance on application timing, how a Darden interview works, what happens after an applicant presses submit on their application and more. For more insights, tips, and stories about the Darden experience, be sure to check out the Discover Darden Admissions blog and follow us on Instagram @dardenmba. </p>
ExecMBA Podcast #428: Office Hours Spotlight | Professor Shane Dikolli
<p>In this special edition of the Darden Admissions podcast, we share a recent installment in our ongoing ‘Office Hours’ faculty spotlight series, a conversation with Professor Shane Dikolli. Dikolli is a member of the Darden’s Accounting faculty, and his primary research interests focus on the performance evaluation of CEOs spanning both analytical modeling and empirical analysis. We talk with Dikolli about his background, what led him to Darden, why he’s so interested in CEO performance, the Darden Worldwide Course he leads to Australia, his Strategic Costing elective and more. For more insights, tips, and stories about the Darden e...
ExecMBA Podcast #427: 5 Tips for Executive MBA Applicants
<p>During this episode, Managing Director of Admissions Brett Twitty shares five tips for Executive MBA applicants targeting Darden’s July 10 deadline. During this episode, Brett shares advice for approaching the application, demonstrating your academic readiness through your application, choosing a recommender, navigating the Darden interview and more. For more insights, tips, and stories about the Darden experience, be sure to check out the Discover Darden Admissions blog and follow us on Instagram @dardenmba.</p>
ExecMBA Podcast #426: Student Spotlight | Matt Dunovant
<p>In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Matt Dunovant. Matt is a student in our Executive MBA Class of 2027, and we talk with him about his background, what led him to pursue an MBA, his current entrepreneurial venture, his experience in UVA’s Entrepreneurship Cup (E-Cup) and more. For more insights, tips, and stories about the Darden experience, be sure to check out the Discover Darden Admissions blog and follow us on Instagram @dardenmba.</p>
ExecMBA Podcast #425: Office Hours Spotlight | Professor Anthony Palomba
<p>In this special edition of the Darden Admissions podcast, we share a recent installment in our ongoing ‘Office Hours’ faculty spotlight series, a conversation with Professor Anthony Palomba. Palomba is a member of the Data Analytics Decision Sciences faculty area at Darden, and he teaches Data Storytelling and Media & Entertainment Business to MBA, MSBA, and Executive MBA students. A media scholar specializing in machine learning, causal inference, and applied econometrics, Palomba explores how audiences engage with entertainment content and how technology is transforming competition across the media, advertising, and gaming industries. Prior to academia, he led research for global medi...
ExecMBA Podcast #424: MSBA Update with Professor Jingjing Li
<p>In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Jingjing Li. Jingjing is an Associate Professor of IT and Innovation at the McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia, and she is also one of the Academic Directors for UVA’s MS in Business Analytics (MSBA) program. We talk with Jingjing about Module 4, the module she leads in the MSBA program, how the program is incorporating AI into the curriculum, how the program stays relevant in a rapidly evolving landscape and more. For more insights, tips, and stories about the Darden experience, be sure to check ou...
ExecMBA Podcast #423: Office Hours Spotlight | In Conversation with Professor Rory McDonald
<p>In this special edition of the Darden Admissions podcast, we share a recent installment in our ongoing ‘Office Hours’ faculty spotlight series, a conversation with Professor Rory McDonald. McDonald’s research focuses on how firms compete and innovate effectively in new technology-enabled markets. Drawing on a mix of in-depth fieldwork and archival data, he studies how executives develop viable strategies in these contexts and how they obtain resources that improve their chances of success. In this wide-ranging conversation, we talk with McDonald about his background, what led him to Darden, how the Strategy course fits into the Darden core curric...
ExecMBA Podcast #422: Student Spotlight | Tristan Gess
<p>In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Tristan Gess. Tristan is a first year student in the Part-Time MBA Class of 2028, and he is Co-President for his class. We talk with Tristan about his decision to pursue an MBA, what led him to Darden, what he’s enjoyed about his first year, how he decided to take on a leadership role and more. For more insights, tips, and stories about the Darden experience, be sure to check out the Discover Darden Admissions blog and follow us on Instagram @dardenmba.</p>
ExecMBA Podcast #421: In Conversation | Ellen Johnson (EMBA ’26)
<p>In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Ellen Johnson. Ellen is a recent graduate in our Executive MBA Class of 2026, and she was also a recent member of the Executive MBA Student Association (ESA) leadership board. We talk with Ellen about her decision to pursue an MBA, what it’s like to change jobs during the program, the program-wide student newsletter she curated, The Executive Edit, and more. For more insights, tips, and stories about the Darden experience, be sure to check out the Discover Darden Admissions blog and follow us on Instagram @dardenmba.</p>
