Wharton Appears To Lose Donors, Omit Donation Statistics In Annual Report

The Daily Pennsylvanian: “The Wharton School’s most recent annual donor roll for its main giving fund is significantly shorter than previous years and lacks statistics which have been present in past editions.

The Wharton Fund Donor Honor Roll, which is primarily comprised of a list of donor names and their affiliation to Penn, is released annually and recognizes all individuals who have made gifts, pledges, or pledge payments to Wharton’s unrestricted giving fund during the University’s fiscal year. The shortened nature of the 2024 honor roll, which is 161 pages — 23 less than its 2023 counterpart — indicates a reduction in Wharton donors over the past 12 months.

The 2024 roll consists of donors from July 1, 2023 through June 30 — thereby comprising the entire period of donor backlash against Penn amid concerns of an insufficient respond to antisemitism on campus. The backlash — which was led by Wharton Board of Advisors Chair Marc Rowan — ultimately led to former Penn President Liz Magill’s resignation.”

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DON’T MISS: WHARTON MBA CLASS OF 2026: 2 STREAKS, ONE GOOD & ONE BAD, COME TO A CLOSE

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Interview with New Stanford GSB Admissions Dean, Erin Nixon

“Stanford Graduate School of Business: “Erin Nixon’s friends have taken to referring to her as a “triple dipper,” a nod toward the fact that Nixon is returning to Stanford for a third time. Having earned both her undergraduate and MBA degrees on the Farm, Nixon arrived in July as the new assistant dean for admissions at Stanford Graduate School of Business.

“As you can imagine, it’s an interesting blend of feeling familiar and yet completely new,” she says. “I bump into faculty and staff I got to know years ago, which always brings me joy. I am digging up memories of study sessions in the Green Library stacks, dinner parties in Schwab, and early morning runs around Lake Lag.

“And yet so much is different. The GSB campus is new since I graduated. There’s tremendous energy from students here with new perspectives and professional aspirations. So much in the world has changed, including for me personally, so now I am also seeing everything with fresh eyes.”

It is Nixon’s first professional role in higher education after a 20-year career spent mostly in strategy and operations. Nixon has built and managed teams across multiple industries and international locations. After five years at Boston Consulting Group, she joined LinkedIn, where she was responsible for growing the global talent brand business, overseeing a team based in 18 countries around the world.

She then pivoted, opening a popular wine bar and restaurant in Barcelona, Spain. There, she also worked as a strategy and operations leader and advisor for several startups and small businesses, including a tech-enabled mental health provider and a digital marketing and brand agency for wine and spirits.”

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DON’T MISS: MEET THE STANFORD GSB MBA CLASS OF 2025

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Rochester Simon Launches MS in AI in Business

Rochester, NY: “Simon Business School, a pioneer in STEM management education and home to top-ranked MBA and MS programs, is expanding its leadership in AI by launching its new Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence in Business program. As AI transforms industries across the globe, this cutting-edge program will equip students with the technical and strategic skills needed to harness AI for business value.

“AI expertise is essential in today’s competitive business landscape, where organizations must adapt to the impact of AI in all business functions, from customer experience to operations, from talent management to financial sustainability,” said Sevin Yeltekin, dean of Simon Business School. “Our program not only provides students with the technical skills needed to leverage AI effectively, but also includes a hands-on project, an experience that enables students to make an immediate impact after graduating.”

The curriculum includes industry-relevant courses such as Programming for Analytics, Introduction to AI & Business, and AI & Deep Learning. Students will engage in practical applications that address real-world challenges, culminating in a unique AI-focused capstone project. This required project allows students to collaborate with corporate sponsors, applying their knowledge to solve actual business problems.”

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DON’T MISS: ROCHESTER SIMON DEAN SEVIN YELTEKIN ON THE MBA’S VALUE & MORE

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University of Nebraska MBA Program Celebrates 60 Years

Lincoln, NE: “The highly-ranked Master of Business Administration program at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln is celebrating 60 years.

The anniversary will be marked with an MBA reunion Nov. 2. All Nebraska MBA alumni are invited to campus for the event, which will feature free executive education and professional development sessions taught by current faculty and a ticketed tailgate prior to the Nebraska v. UCLA football game.

Transforming throughout its history to meet the needs of students while embracing new technological advances, the program was rebranded as the MBA@Nebraska in 2018.

“We have prioritized offering a high quality and affordable MBA program that meets the needs of our students in the ever-changing world of business,” said Kathy Farrell, James Jr. and Susan Stuart Endowed Dean of the College of Business. “Our graduates report starting average salaries over $140,000, and we’ve strategically kept the MBA@Nebraska under $33,000 to provide our alumni with a high return on investment, while other top-ranked programs cost more than $98,000.”

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DON’T MISS:

2024 BEST & BRIGHTEST ONLINE MBA: MEGAN O’BRIEN, UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA

2024 BEST & BRIGHTEST ONLINE MBA: SCOTT HOLWEGER, UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA