STUDENT SUCCESS

Tepper School Hosts Inaugural Business Analytics Summer Summit, Empowering Future Leaders

In the summer of 2024, the Tepper School of Business hosted the Business Analytics Summer Summit (BASS). Participants included college juniors and seniors from across the United States, many from historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs). The students, representing various academic majors including business, engineering, and mathematics, engaged in an array of activities designed to equip them with key analytics and business skills.

Highlights included a visit to PNC Park to watch the Pittsburgh Pirates and learn about integrative analytics through baseball and business. At American Eagle Outfitters’ (AEO) corporate headquarters, students explored retail industry data-driven innovations. Students also visited The PNC Financial Services Group headquarters, where leaders discussed AI innovations in banking. Students also gained insights from the experiences and career journeys of stakeholders at each location.

David Major, the Tepper School's associate dean for diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, emphasized the program’s impact.

“BASS provides students an early window into the leading-edge coursework at the core of Tepper’s top-ranked masters program. It equips this next generation of diverse business analytics professionals for success," said Major, who holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from the Tepper School.

The summit featured discussions with industry experts, hands-on experiences, and networking opportunities, thanks to the generous sponsorship of the Pittsburgh Pirates, PNC, and American Eagle Outfitters.

Kevin Dietrick, program director of the Tepper School's Master of Science in Business Analytics, highlighted the program's success. “We have seen incredible enthusiasm and growth from the students, and we are proud to contribute to their journey in becoming future leaders in business analytics.”

Dean Isabelle Bajeux visited the Building Intelligent Systems with AI class on Friday morning to meet with students before the program concluded for the week. She asked about their experience so far and collected feedback on how to improve BASS moving forward.

Tepper School Undergrads Join Elite Swartz Center Innovation Scholars

The Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship at Carnegie Mellon announced its selection of the 2024–26 Innovation Scholars, a prestigious accolade that recognizes the entrepreneurial spirit and potential of its recipients. Among the distinguished few are Tepper School undergraduate students Timothy Brown, Simran Jolly, Aaryan Lalwani, Evan Pinnix, and Avalon Sueiro. With interests in various areas of entrepreneurship, the students are eager to refine their skills through the Innovation Scholars Program to launch successful startup companies of their own.

These students emerged as standouts from an intense application process that drew the interest of over 70 ambitious undergraduates from across campus. Now as Innovation Scholars, they will embark on a transformative journey equipping them with the necessary tools, mentorship, and resources to refine their entrepreneurial acumen.

Their success is a testament to their hard work, innovative thinking, and the bright future they have as change-makers in the business world.

Carnegie Mellon’s Finest Seal Historic Win at VCIC 2024

In a remarkable achievement, a Tepper School undergraduate team clinched the top spot at the 2024 Venture Capital Investment Competition (VCIC) Global Finals. This win is particularly noteworthy as it marks the first time a Carnegie Mellon team has advanced to the final undergraduate round in the competition’s history.

The team, comprising six members of the Scottie Ventures club, included five Tepper School undergraduates: Saaketh Chennaiahgari, Pratyay Didwania, Meher Sujay Kaky, Aditi Shimpi, and Ethan Yeo. These students demonstrated exceptional acumen in venture capital investment strategies, embodying the roles of venture capitalists and evaluating real-world startups.

Their performance was evaluated by a panel of venture capitalist judges. The students’ ability to navigate the complex landscape, coupled with their strategic decision-making, propelled them to victory. This triumph not only celebrates their individual talents but also underscores the Tepper School’s commitment to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship among its students.

Top of the Class: Tepper School Students Shine in Poets&Quants' Best & Brightest 2024

Poets&Quants' Best & Brightest Undergraduate Business Majors of 2024 celebrates the exceptional talents and achievements of top business students across the country. Among this distinguished group are two outstanding Tepper School students, Priya Shah and Winston Zha, who have excelled academically, led impactful extracurriculars, and are poised to make significant contributions in their future careers.

Priya Shah, from New Hyde Park, New York, is a business administration major with a concentration in business analytics and technologies and a minor in decision science. At CMU, Shah has been a Dean’s List student, TEDxCMU speaker curator, Career Peer Mentor, and dancer with Helix Dance Crew. She interned at IBM, Unqork, and Liquidnet, and will join IBM as a Brand Technical Sales Specialist post-graduation. Priya’s favorite course was Business Presentations, thanks to Dr. Clara Burke’s impactful teaching.

Winston Zha, a dual degree student in business administration and computer science with a concentration in finance, has lived in seven cities, including his current home, Pittsburgh. Hailing from Miami, he graduated from Nanjing International School. Zha interned at Multiply Labs and Swiss Butchery and will join Multiply Labs as a software engineer and business analyst post-graduation. His favorite course was Marketing with Professor Peter Stuettgen, who made the subject memorable with diverse perspectives. Zha values the importance of soft skills and collaboration in business. As a teaching assistant for various computer science courses, he found his passion for teaching and leadership, significantly impacting his peers.

Carnegie Mellon's Golf Teams Prevail in 2024

In an unprecedented triumph, Carnegie Mellon’s women's golf team made history by winning their first NCAA Division III Championship — a monumental first for any women’s athletic program at the university.

This landmark victory was bolstered by the exceptional performances of two standout Tepper School undergraduate business students: Sriya Mupparaju was named to the All-American First Team, while Nikita Jadhav received regional honors.

Additionally, the men’s golf team demonstrated remarkable skill and determination, achieving the national runner-up position at the championships. The team’s success was significantly shaped by the contributions of several Tepper School undergraduates, including the talented quintet of Brian Xu, Jay Saluja, Ryan Dannegge, David Zhang, and Justin Chan, whose collective efforts were instrumental in the team’s impressive finish.

The dedication, hard work, and competitive spirit of these student athletes not only brought glory to their teams but also set a new benchmark of excellence for Carnegie Mellon’s sports.

Celebrating Scholarly Success: Tepper School Doctoral Students Receive Coveted Awards

The Tepper School of Business celebrated the achievements of its doctoral students’ during an annual Student Awards Tea. Led by Professor Alan Montgomery, the event honored Siyue Liu with the Egon Balas Award for her paper on optimization flows, reflecting her interests in combinatorial and nonconvex optimization, and microeconomics theory.

Flora Feng received the Dipankar and Sharmila Chakravarti Doctoral Fellowship for her marketing research utilizing AI and machine learning to market quandaries, leveraging the vast potential of information harbored in unstructured data.

Jenny Oh was awarded the Gerald R. Salancik Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship for her research on the effects of demographic composition and proportional representation of team members by gender/race on perceptual and instrumental outcomes.

Mingjun Sun earned the Aydemir Family Prize for his empirical asset pricing research, while Yizhen Xie and Kerry Zhang were named PNC Presidential Fellows for their studies in financial markets and corporate finance, respectively.

Additionally, four Tepper School doctoral students received Carnegie Mellon Presidential Fellowships for their significant research contributions: Qiaochu Wang, Liying Qui, Flora Feng, and Yikang Shen. These accolades underscore the school’s commitment to academic excellence and research innovation.

Unveiling the Stories of Tepper School's MBA Class of 2025: Real Humans, Real Journeys

Clear Admit's "Real Humans of Carnegie Mellon Tepper MBA Class of 2025" series shines a spotlight on the diverse and talented individuals that make up the latest cohort at Tepper School of Business.

Student profiles reveal the unique journeys and aspirations of these students, showcasing their professional backgrounds, personal achievements, and the motivations that led them to pursue an MBA at the Tepper School. From engineers and consultants to entrepreneurs and nonprofit leaders, each student brings a wealth of experience and a distinct perspective to the program.

These student stories highlight the supportive and collaborative culture at the Tepper School, where students are encouraged to leverage their unique strengths and backgrounds to contribute to the community.

Through this series, Clear Admit provides an intimate glimpse into the lives and ambitions of Prateek Damle, Adam Deutsch, Shanshan He, Vaibhav Kedia, and Laila Sakr, offering inspiration and insight for prospective students considering a similar path.

Read more: https://www.clearadmit.com/2023/10/real-humans-of-carnegie-mellon-tepper-mba-class-of-2025/

Tepper School Welcomes First MSM Class: Pioneering Business Education for the Next Generation

The Tepper School welcomed its inaugural cohort of 17 students for the Master of Science in Management (MSM) program in Fall 2024. The program, which is STEM-designated, spans nine months and is tailored for graduating seniors and young professionals with up to two years of professional experience.

Students are taking courses designed to provide a strong foundation in business fundamentals. This allows them to tailor their career paths through specializations in Entrepreneurship, Finance, Marketing, Operations, or Strategy. The MSM program aims to equip students with the necessary skills and knowledge to excel in various business fields.

AI Meets MBA: Tepper School Launches Interdisciplinary AI in Business Concentration

In response to the growing influence of AI in business, the Tepper School introduced an AI in Business concentration in our already established MBA program in spring 2024. This new concentration allows students to delve into various AI topics, including machine learning and the legal and ethical considerations of AI applications in business. Beyond the coursework at the Tepper School, students can also choose from AI courses offered by the School of Computer Science and the Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy.

To earn the AI in Business concentration, students must complete at least three courses. This interdisciplinary approach aims to equip MBA students with a comprehensive understanding of AI, preparing them to leverage these technologies effectively in their future careers.