THE BRIEF News from the UNLV Executive MBA Program
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Alumni Update
A Letter From the New EMBA Executive Coach, Nikkole Liesse
At the recent Cohort 19 graduation ceremony, I had the wonderful opportunity to talk about some of the changes that the Executive MBA program has experienced over the years. Here are a few of the tidbits I shared about the program’s 20-year history:
• Including Cohort 19, there have been 364 graduates of the EMBA program.
• Six deans have served during the program’s two decades.
• Approximately 70 professors have taught in the EMBA.
• Seven official curriculum/course changes have occurred.
• There have been five EMBA directors.
As many of you know, I am one of the EMBA directors that have proudly served the program. Since announcing my departure late last year, I have worked with Nadine Bentis, Interim Director, to ensure program continuity and help recruit Cohort 21.
Now that the leadership transition is complete, I am excited to share that as of August 2022, I will take over the role of Executive Coach for the program.
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Faculty Feature
An Architect of the EMBA: A Conversation with Dr. Robert Chatfield
The Executive MBA program would have been much different, and perhaps may not have come into existence, without Dr. Robert Chatfield.
One of UNLV’s longest-tenured faculty members, Dr. Chatfield joined the university in 1988 after beginning his academic career at the University of New Mexico and Texas Tech University. He played an integral role in the development of Lee Business School as a research-oriented institution with its first Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) accreditation.
In the late 1990s, following his term as chair of the finance department, Dr. Chatfield chaired the committee tasked with developing an Executive MBA program. The plan he and his colleagues drafted was accepted and used as the blueprint for the EMBA, which accepted its first cohort in the summer of 2002.
Now, with retirement looming, Dr. Chatfield is looking back on the last 20 years with pride and a sense of accomplishment similar to the one felt by so many cohort members that have moved on to become alumni.
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Student Spotlight
Seizing the Opportunity: A Conversation with Cohort 19's Alexandra Nikolich
Alexandra Nikolich is not one to let an opportunity go to waste. As the pandemic put life on pause in 2020 and forced state workers to take mandated furlough days, Alexandra, an alum of Lee Business School and the Senior Executive Director of Strategic Initiatives in UNLV’s Business Affairs division, decided to take advantage of the free time that had suddenly come her way.
“I always wanted to return to the classroom to pursue a master’s degree, but never committed,” she explains. “The pandemic forced me to shift my perspective and self-reflect, which led to setting new personal and professional goals.”
With unused vacation leave and furlough days – “I did not feel guilty taking every other Friday off to attend classes,” she says – making it easier to commit time to the program, Alexandra joined Cohort 19 and began her journey. It wasn’t long before she was implementing themes from her business courses into her day-to-day work, and her co-workers and manager were taking notice.
“While I expected the degree to pay off in the long term, I was happy to receive an internal promotion several months prior to graduation!” she says.
Alexandra cites the project management and leadership lessons of the EMBA as being most useful in her career, and the work that she’s done with fellow cohort members made her recognize the importance of leveraging the skills of individual members of a team. Prior to joining the program, she admits having “felt the need to enter work situations as an expert.” But as she progressed, she forced herself to “let go and learn from, and rely on” her peers in the cohort.
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EMBA & UNLV Alumni Events |
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Happy birthday to Cohort 19's
Chase McCormick
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Happy birthday to Cohort 20's Joy Jansen-Valle
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Happy birthday to Cohort 19's
Keith Robertson
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Happy Birthday to Cohort 19's
Alexandra Nikolich
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Happy birthday to Cohort 21's
Jeff Wagner
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Happy Birthday to Cohort 21's
Marian Hristov
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Happy birthday to Cohort 21's
Amanda Glomske
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As part of their EMBA 722 Service Operations course, Cohort 19 visited Giada with instructor Michael Speagle, who is also Giada's VP of Restaurant Development & Operations and an EMBA alum (Cohort 15). Pictured: Joy Jansen-Valle, Jose Bobadilla, Mike Haeseker, Michael Speagle, April Chapman, Vanessa Leon, and Nadine Bentis. |
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We wish a warm welcome to Cohort 21! They began their EMBA journey together on campus in June. Front row: Lee Cooke, Isabel Burgos-Dumani, Olay Jabbi, Amanda Glomske, Schadrey Bonds, Heather Nepa Back row: Avi Miserachi Kibrit, Freddy Lopez, Alvin Kenon, instructor Danny Siciliano, Jeff Wagner, Olu Olagunju, Bre Stark, Verna Mandez |
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Adam Calig, Adina d'Almeida, Eddie Nieves, Christopher Melton, April Luna, Meghan Fitzgibbons, Monica Chairez, and Karla Vazquez strike a pose at Madrid's Buen Retiro Park. Cohort 19 visited Barcelona & Madrid last month during their International Seminar. |
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Congratulations to Cohort 19 who graduated on July 23rd! Front row: Janet Cristobal, Karla Vazquez Back row: Monica Chairez, Tyler Wistisen, and Germain Williamson |
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Dr. John Baur recaps highlights of Cohort 19's educational journey during the EMBA graduation ceremony. This is the first cohort in UNLV's history to celebrate graduation with their own ceremony. |
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The Cohort 19 gala was held at Cili at Bali Hai Golf Club to conclude graduation day and 18 months of hard work. Best wishes to each of you! |
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UNLV Executive MBA | emba.unlv.edu
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