Bartlet DeProspo

Georgia Institute of Technology’s Scheller College of Business

“A future physical representation of the intersection between business and technology.”

Hometown: Goshen, NY

Fun Facts About Yourself: I currently share my one-bedroom apartment with a Sugar Glider named Icarus.

• • I currently have a pet sugar glider.
  • I can water ski on one ski and also downhill ski.
  • My older brothers’ name is Atticus, my younger sisters’ name is Chatham. In order our names are ABC.
  • I lived in Japan for 3 weeks during the summer of 2018.

• • I was recruited to play Division 1 soccer.
  • I currently have 20 patents filed.
  • I grew up with 5 dogs, 2 black labs and 3 westies.
  • I am currently taking hip hop dance lessons.
  • I held the 2004 Boston Red Sox World Series Trophy.

• • I hiked up to the top of Mount Fuji.

Undergraduate School and Major: SUNY CNSE, Bachelor’s in Mathematics and Nanoscale Engineering

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Georgia Institute of Technology, Graduate Research Assistant

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: While I worked at IBM, I was an inventor on 19 United States Patents that utilized semiconductor materials and processes in a plethora of application spaces from mainframe technology to competitive skiing, security key systems, and anti-counterfeiting.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Diversity is the quality that best describes my classmates. Picture amalgam of skills and experience from technology, marketing, management to operations and everything in between. This is the quality that really makes Scheller a world-class institution.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? The MBA program here at Scheller really focuses on bringing technology to the forefront of business which is the future. For me, as a dual degree Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering, the unity of how to leverage that technical depth to the breadth of a company is something that Scheller is well equipped to handle and support.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? I am really looking forward to the annual Crawfish Broil. It is something that someone from New York doesn’t experience ever. It’s a unique experience and brings together all these diverse backgrounds with a little southern culture.

What was the most challenging question you were asked during the admissions process? Why do you want to do a dual degree at Scheller? The reason it was the most challenging question is because it seems like such an easy answer: Scheller is a great program as part of a university that prides itself on excellence. It forced me to dig deeper into what the program offered and what the community and culture was like. It wasn’t until I really dug in to answer this question that I understood what an MBA at Scheller was really all about and what makes it so unique.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? As I started to progress further through my Ph.D., I realized that the roles after graduation with just that degree can almost pigeonhole people to a deeply technical role. However, I think one of my greatest strengths is communicating deep technical challenges and solutions in a way that makes sense to anybody. The MBA will allow me to identify and navigate into positions that can highlight those strengths.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? As a dual degree student, I did not apply to other MBA programs as the best MBA program for business and technology is right here in Tech Square.

What made you select Scheller? Scheller allows for dual degree candidates and Ph.Ds to collaborate and bring a unique experience to the MBA program.

How did you determine your fit at various schools? Not applicable.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? The defining moment for me happened in my undergraduate progression. I was originally recruited to play Division I soccer at SUNY Albany. Upon exploring the school and finding a world-class, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity at the Colleges of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, I was excited to begin this journey. However, it was not possible to play soccer and study nanoscale engineering. As an 18-year-old who had played competitive soccer at the highest level – while also being driven by a passion to advance technology – it was an extremely difficult choice. I think being able to make that choice to give up one passion for another at a relatively young age was something that will always stick with me. It really changed the course of my life and was the first step in a long journey that brought me to Scheller.

Where do you see yourself in ten years? I would like to be either a vice president or senior-level manager at a large technology firm like Intel or IBM. In my recent job search, I have also explored medium and small companies, if I decided to work at a smaller company, I would like to be CTO or upper-level management.