Newsletter

Dear MBA Students, Alumni, and Faculty,

We hope you all had a wonderful holiday season with family and friends! We are looking forward to welcoming you back for the spring 2025 semester. With a total of 227 students, the MBA program continues to be the largest on-site graduate program at the University of Nevada, Reno. We are grateful that this newsletter can focus on the accomplishments of the program.

We are so excited to spotlight a recent Fall 2024 MBA graduate and one of our Outstanding MBA Students for 2024 – Elizabeth Clair!

Can you please tell us a bit about yourself, your career, and why you chose to pursue an MBA?

I moved to Northern Nevada three years ago from the Bay Area for both my job and the opportunity to pursue my MBA at the University. At the time, I was employed by Barry Callebaut, the world’s largest chocolate manufacturer, in sales and industry relations roles. With a humanities background, a BA in History and an MA in Communication both from Stanford University, my resume lacked clear quantitative and analytical skills. While I’d hoped to embark on an MBA to gain a better understanding of accounting and financial management, ultimately, I’ve graduated with that and so much more at UNR. From incredible friends and travel opportunities to networking experiences, and on-campus traditions like football and basketball games, being a member of the Wolf Pack has exceeded my greatest hopes and expectations, not to mention changed the trajectory of my career. In late 2023, I left the confectionery industry and joined Fisher Investments, a global financial firm. 

What professional goals do you have in mind once you complete the MBA?

While my coursework was regularly informed by my day-to-day responsibilities over the last three years, my day-to-day responsibilities have similarly been shaped and milled by classes, coursework, case studies, and assignments. As I am only a year into my current role in the financial and research world, I look forward to continuing to grow and learn with the same enthusiasm and curiosity that was reignited during the MBA. At some point, I would love to share the knowledge that was imparted to me by teaching a class and serving on a board.  

What have you found most rewarding about your educational journey?

From traveling with the Nevada Global Business program to London and Toronto with Dean Greg Mosier, Jim McClenahan, and Jen Nelson, to taking extraordinary classes taught by Dennis Cuneo, Ryan Moser, Jasmine Stanley, and more, being a member of the Wolf Pack has been the opportunity of a lifetime. I’ve found the University to be filled with hardworking, determined, intelligent, and kind classmates, professors, and staff. The camaraderie formed with classmates who are diligently working fulltime jobs, caring for families, and showing up for class in the dark on campus is inspirational. Brought together from unique backgrounds and varied career paths, those relationships have been forged over three years of late-night study sessions, weekend case studies, and hours at the whiteboard understanding yield curves and cash flow statements. I’m so grateful for the support of the College of Business and the University from Kambiz Raffiee and Christie Chaump to Zack Madonick, Erica Pinjuv, and so many more and am looking forward to being a proud, active Wolf Pack alumna. 

Thank you for all your contributions, Liz! We look forward to continuing to build our relationship with you as an alumna of the program. If you would like to connect with Liz, add her on LinkedIn.

Congratulations, MBA Class of 2024!

Our alumni family grew by 37 this past winter. Congratulations to all our UNR MBA graduates. You have done an amazing job through these challenging times. Your grit, determination, and resilience will take you far!

Welcome New MBA Students!

Introducing the class profile, we are thrilled to welcome 46 new MBA students into the program. The group has an average of 8 years of work experience to draw on as they move through the program, and five have already completed an advanced degree or have earned a professional certification. We are also proud to welcome an international student from Nigeria!

On behalf of the College of Business and MBA team, we wish you a healthy and productive spring semester!

Sincerely,

Kambiz Raffiee, PhD

Associate Dean for Graduate Programs and Research

Director of MBA Programs

College of Business