Meet Georgia Tech Scheller’s MBA Class Of 2024

You could say Scheller College and Tech Square pack a perfect 1-2 punch – a “futuristic mindset”, in the words of Ooha Edupuganti – that’s designed to prepare MBAs for the world ahead. “Businesses cannot operate without technology – and technology is transforming businesses at an incredibly rapid pace,” explains Ross Doelling. It’s no secret that Georgia Tech has a technology-focused program and that is what brought me to Georgia Tech. I wanted an education that would sustain a 30+ year career and I felt that Georgia Tech was best suited to deliver just that.”

Beyond Atlanta’s tech royalty sitting across the street, the Scheller College is close to Piedmont Park and Atlanta’s Beltline. That means three major grocery stores and 300 restaurants and bars within a mile radius, adds Satchel Ziffer. Those are just a few attractions according to Class of 2024 members. Ashley Lynn McCrea lauds the arts scene, while Azell Francis describes Atlanta as a “foodie’s paradise,” while Quinn Zhang calls it a “melting pot.” Indeed, Atlanta runs the gamut, from an “electric” and “cosmopolitan” city that’s “rich in its history and diversity” to a “charming, small town energy.” Ooha Edupuganti, for one, loves how there is always something to do, including “marathons, music festivals, lights shows, bar crawls, or famers markets.” Her classmate, Remi Levinson, adds that Atlanta is a place of culture “abundance” – with plenty to do even outside the city limits.

“As you expand outside of Atlanta, Atlanta is placed safely, protected from hurricanes, tornados, blizzards, and many other natural disasters. It is also at the center of a dynamic offering of experiences from beautiful hiking trails, waterfalls, lakes, rivers, and outdoor recreational activities, it is in close proximity to other major cities, and you have ability to travel anywhere in the world, as Atlanta is home to the busiest airport in the world.”

A CLASS PROFILE

By the numbers, the Scheller full-time MBA Class of 2024 features 76 students who bring a 690 average GMAT to Midtown (up 8 points). In terms of GRE, they average 162 in Quant and 158 in Verbal, while reporting a 3.2 undergraduate GPA average. Women compose 24% of the class, with international students (26%) and underrepresented minorities (21%) also making up sizable shares of the class.

In terms of undergraduate backgrounds, STEM-related degrees make up the majority of the class. Engineering and Computer Science majors hold 46% of the seats, followed by Business and Management (22%), Sciences (13%), and Economics (8%). Professionally, the largest segment of the class last worked in Technology (17%). Manufacturing and Engineering (14%), Consulting (10.5%), Education (8%), Financial Services (6.5%), and Energy (6.5%) are also represented in the class.

AN INTERVIEW WITH SCHELLER LEADERSHIP

The Class of 2024 will also be the first to have their MBA degrees STEM designated, with a new dean arriving in January. What can MBAs expect next? Last winter, P&Q reached out to Scheller administration to learn more about the advantage of a Scheller MBA experience. Here are the thoughts of three school leaders:

Emily Sharkey, Executive Director, MBA Admissions & Recruiting

Peter Severa, Assistant Dean, MBA Programs

Dave Deiters, Associate Dean for MBA Programs/Executive Director, Jones MBA Career Center

P&Q: What are the two most exciting developments at your program in the past year and how will they enrich the MBA experience for current and future MBAs?

Sharkey: “Two developments at Scheller we are very excited about are receiving STEM designation in May 2022, and the groundbreaking for a new Scheller College of Business tower for our graduate programs.

The STEM designation makes so much sense for an Institute that positions itself at the intersection of business and technology. It will specifically benefit our international students, who can leverage the optional practical training extension and broaden post-MBA career opportunities. In addition, during our internal work to become a STEM-designated MBA program, all MBA graduates will now be able to declare an official concentration (out of 13 current offerings, and still expanding) that appears on their transcripts.

The new Scheller College of Business tower will house graduate and executive education programs and is part of Georgia Tech’s Technology Square Phase 3, the final phase of the Tech Square master plan. The groundbreaking for this new building took place in October and will be an epicenter for innovation and collaboration for future Scheller MBA students.”

PQ: If you were giving a campus tour, what is the first place you’d take an MBA applicant? Why is that so important to the MBA experience?

Sharkey: “I would walk out of Scheller’s front door and show an MBA applicant Tech Square. Tech Square has the highest density of startups, corporate innovators, and academic researchers in the entire southeastern United States.

During MBA orientation we do just that by taking our students on site visits to some of the many Tech Square innovation centers. In the past, students have toured the innovation centers for Anthem, AT&T, Delta, Southern Company, and The Home Depot just to name a few – all within a minutes’ walk from Scheller’s front door.  We’ve even had students procure summer internships at these innovation centers by connections they have made during these company visits. I think it has been described best by one of our MBA alumnae, Michelle Frenssen, when she said “Tech Square is a wonderful ecosystem – a two-sided exchange between tech-focused businesses and Scheller students who are yearning to be part of cutting-edge innovation. The resources are endless.”

P&Q: What is the most innovative thing you have introduced into the MBA program in recent years? How has it been a game-changer for your program?

Severa: “The CHARGE Leadership Development Program has taken the co-curricular educational opportunities offered by Scheller and aligned them into a multi-faceted program aimed at helping students identify and embrace their growth into responsible leaders. This iterative program helps students better understand and visualize their leadership skills development while also enabling program staff to monitor and enhance programming balance along dimensions of social intelligence, team efficacy, communication, and impact & influence. Streamlining the many experiences available to students outside the classroom has changed the face of extracurricular engagement for students, evolving it from a diverse menu of complementary enrichment options to an intentional tool for personally tailored development.”

P&Q: What have MBAs told you is the most memorable, signature experience they’ve had in your program? Why did it resonate so much with them?

Severa: “The International Practicum has long been considered a hallmark of the Scheller College of Business MBA student experience. Since its inception in 2005, more than 650 students have visited more than 20 countries with the course. Through experiential education and rich cultural travel experiences, students have expanded their network with international business leaders and students worldwide. They often cite the study abroad experience as a highlight of their time in the program, gaining fascinating exposure to complex global business challenges in unique cultural settings while developing strong personal connections with classmates across multiple cohorts within the MBA program.

Other memorable program experiences include our bell ringing celebration after a student secures an internship or full-time off, hobby nights where students have the chance to teach their classmates about a personal hobby of theirs, or our peer leadership committee which pairs second-year MBA student mentors with first-year students.”

P&Q: How does the MBA program leverage the resources of the larger university? How does that create more opportunities for your students?

Sharkey: “In the TI:GER program (which stands for Technology Innovation: Generating Economic Results) Scheller MBA students work with Ph.D. students from the Georgia Tech Colleges of Engineering, Computing, and Sciences to translate ideas into successful technology innovations. Georgia Tech MBA and Ph.D students also work closely with Creative Destruction Lab (CDL-Atlanta) startups. Students get real-world experience in technology innovation.”

P&Q: What is the most underrated part of your program that you wish students knew more about? How does that make your graduates more valuable to prospective employers?

Deiters: “As a former employer of many MBA graduates, I can unequivocally say what sets Scheller MBA’s apart is the experiential learning from the many practicum class offerings. In these courses, students in small teams navigate real business problems from real businesses, which truly produces ‘employment ready’ graduates. The students learn to collaborate, work through different approaches and disagreements, and confront and overcome obstacles. Most importantly, the students emerge from these practicums as really good communicators.”

P&Q: Where are some of your students’ favorite hangouts? What do they do and why do they gravitate there?

Deiters: “A couple of things come to mind – starting with Cypress Pint & Plate. This lovely pub nestled next to campus in the heart of Midtown Atlanta is THE communal gathering place for Scheller MBAs. The large tree covered patio, affordable beverage options, and tasty menu are all nice – but it is the atmosphere of a community gathering place that makes Cypress a unique go-to. Another popular place for Scheller MBA’s is Atlanta’s BeltLine – an out-of-service rail line around the center of Atlanta that has been converted to a walking/running/biking path and a recreational and entertainment area. There are multiple breweries, pubs, and restaurants, all minutes from campus that attract Scheller MBA students.”

MBA Student	Hometown	Undergraduate Alma Mater	Last Employer
Tarique Ashraf	Muzaffarpur, India	Jaypee Institute of Information Technology, India	HCL Technologies
Ross Doelling	Atlanta, GA	University of Georgia	Morgan Stanley
Ooha Edupuganti	Dunwoody, GA	Georgia Tech	Deposco
Azell Francis	San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago	Georgia Southern University	Georgia Tech, Strategic Energy Institute
Remi Levinson	Greenwich, CT	Emory University	StreamCut Media LLC
Cadence Martin	Atlanta, GA	University of Georgia	Kresnicka Research & Insights
Ashley Lynn McCrea	Atlanta, GA	University of Georgia	Georgia
Peter John Oppenheim	Austin, TX	U.S. Military Academy	U.S. Army
Victor C. Sabioni	Belo Horizonte, Brazil	Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais	Embraer S.A.
Spenser Wipperfurth	Minneapolis, MN	University of Wisconsin-Madison	Houston Engineering
Qinlin (Quinn) Zhang	Atlanta, GA	Georgia Tech	Newell Brands
Satchel Ziffer	Lancaster, PA	Old Dominion University	Urban-Gro, Inc.