Meet The Georgia Tech Scheller MBA Class Of 2025

Georgia Tech Scheller’s Dave Deiters: “Over the past two years, enhancements have been made in integrating AI, STEM, analytics, and digital disruption into our programming. One notable improvement is the addition of a module on generative AI in our MBA and Executive MBA courses focused on emerging technologies and information systems”

Q&A with Dave Deiters, Associate Dean of MBA Programs and Jones MBA Career Center

P&Q asked, “What have been the two most important developments in your MBA program over the past year? What type of impact will they have on current and future MBAs?

Deiters: “In the past year, the Jones MBA Career Center (ranked No. 1 in the world by The Financial Times) has introduced several initiatives to enhance the student experience, including the implementation of ‘treks,’ an introduction of an employer recruiting kickoff event, collaboration with the Consulting Club to enhance case preparation by incorporating new tools and resources, pushing up select programming to early summer, and enabling incoming students to engage with resources virtually and access essential materials prior to their initial advisor meeting, just to name a few things,” Misbach says.

Scheller has also made sizable investments in their programming for CHARGE, their MBA student leadership development program.

“CHARGE empowers students to cultivate their distinct leadership abilities through diverse opportunities. Anchored in four core competencies — social intelligence, communication, team efficacy, and impact and influence — the program integrates a personalized leadership development plan, enabling students to set and effectively pursue their goals,” says Misbach.

After a year in the program, MBA students now have the opportunity to become CHARGE Fellows, a distinguished cohort of 10 individuals recognized for their outstanding leadership and active engagement within the program. “As Fellows, they gain access to an array of exclusive offerings including an alumni mentorship, personalized executive coaching, intimate group discussions with executive figures, exclusive leadership immersions, and notable recognition during graduation,” she says. 

P&Q: Sustainability has emerged as a major attraction to prospective MBA students. How does your Full-time MBA program integrate sustainability across its curriculum? 

Deiters: MBA students have a range of classroom and extracurricular opportunities to explore, including a STEM-designated concentration in Sustainability that allows students to take specific coursework. Concentration classes help students gain a deeper understanding of business-relevant trends and innovation opportunities related to resource scarcity, environmental concerns, societal needs, emerging technologies, and policy developments.

Students also have the option to participate in the Sustainable Business Consulting Practicum and gain knowledge in consulting, topical sustainability issues, and project management. This course takes students through a crash course in management consulting skills as teams are formed and assigned to sustainability-relevant, business-focused projects for participating companies. Teams scope, plan, execute, and deliver a 12-week consulting project by actively managing the engagement via ongoing interactions with their client liaison.

MBA students can also apply to become a Graduate Sustainability Fellow that works on a project addressing real-world challenges being faced by on-campus and external partnering organizations. Past projects include researching a specific sustainability topic, supporting specific research or proposal development for Center initiatives, and working with Center partners on sustainability-related projects.

The Center also hosts several workshops, panel discussions, and advising and mentoring sessions for MBA students through the academic year.

P&Q: Two years ago, P&Q asked you to share how you’ve integrated AI, STEM, analytics, and digital disruption into your programming. Since then, what types of enhancements have you made in these areas? 

Deiters: Over the past two years, enhancements have been made in integrating AI, STEM, analytics, and digital disruption into our programming.

One notable improvement is the addition of a module on generative AI in our MBA and Executive MBA courses focused on emerging technologies and information systems. This module provides students with insights into cutting-edge AI technologies and their applications in various industries. As part of this, we’ve implemented a hands-on exercise designed to deepen students’ understanding of machine learning principles such as reinforcement learning and supervised learning. This practical approach allows students to grasp how machines “learn” and reinforces theoretical concepts with real-world applications.

In our analytics courses, we cover a comprehensive range of topics and even touch large language models (LLMs). Additionally, within our online analytics certificate program, we’ve introduced a course focused on the analysis of unstructured data. This course delves into advanced topics such as machine learning algorithms tailored for handling unstructured data.

 There will be an upcoming enhancement to our curriculum with the introduction of an Advanced Managerial Accounting class. While this class has existed previously, it’s undergoing revitalization with the infusion of analytics components. This integration ensures that our curriculum remains relevant and adaptive to the evolving demands of the digital era.

P&Q: What is your biggest student-run event of the year and what does it reflect about your school?

Deiters: Our largest student-run event is the MBA Crawfish Boil, a cherished annual tradition that is 20+ years old, bringing together Full-time, Evening, and MBA students and alumni. The occasion occurs in late April and celebrates the end of the year, bringing together old friends, live music, and hundreds of pounds of crawfish to the Scheller College of Business courtyard.

This event is a reflection of our love of community, embodying the spirit of camaraderie and collaboration that defines our College. Our MBA experience is all about fostering connection and a sense of belonging among our diverse student body and alumni network.

MEET THE GEORGIA TECH SCHELLER MBA CLASS OF 2025