Meet Carnegie Mellon Tepper’s MBA Class Of 2026 by: Jeff Schmitt on January 10, 2025 | 2,293 Views January 10, 2025 Copy Link Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Email Share on LinkedIn Share on WhatsApp Share on Reddit Tepper School exterior LEADERSHIP TRAINING Alongside the Swartz Center, Tepper also features the Accelerate Leadership Center, whose services include intensive coaching, communication and professional development workshops, and leadership certification. For Olivia Ahearn, a Deloitte consultant, the center provides an organized path to building the self-awareness and relationship-building skills needed to bring out the best in others. “I’m excited to gain more skills and confidence through this resource to help me become the best leader I can be. The tailored leadership training and guidance will improve my ability to drive impactful decisions and grow my emotional intelligence. The Tepper school’s focus on analytic and soft skills set it apart from other top business schools.” So too did its cutting-edge programing, says Olivia Demkowicz – who points to Tepper equipping MBAs with the tools to “make informed, strategic decisions grounded in empirical evidence.” Her classmate, Divyesha Malhotra, is equally enthusiastic about the program’s emphasis on balancing the left- and right-brained approach needed to successfully run an organization. “In a world centered around data and AI, Tepper was one of the only programs that was moving hand-in-hand with the times – seamlessly integrating the technical analytical skills into their entire curriculum, while also heavily focusing on the soft leadership, presentation and communication skills that any business leader today should come equipped with.” Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is a Rust Belt city on the rise. AN EMERGING TECH POWERHOUSE Thus far, Teyonna M. Jarman hails Tepper for its “distinct STEM lens and cutting-edge AI focus”, along with its “interdisciplinary culture” that surrounds her with “people as multi-hyphenated as I am.” These people, says alum Anushikha Sharma, stand as the program’s unheralded differentiator. Sharma frames Tepper as “a place where people care about you.” In many ways, alumni have also served as the program’s best marketing tool. Just ask Curtis W. Lloyd, who has worked alongside Carnegie Mellon grads and in a startup launched out of the school. “Further reinforcing my interest was the smaller class size and counseling designed to ensure that learning and conversations with peers and professionals would be frequent and far more personalized,” Lloyd adds. “I have seen the proof of Carnegie Mellon graduates’ success first-hand, making the decision a relatively easy one.” Along with the people, you can chalk up location as another advantage for the Tepper School. Home to seven Fortune 500 companies and 88 colleges and universities, the city’s blue-collar roots in metals and manufacturing belie an increasingly diversified business mix. The region has built up an impressive infrastructure in areas like robotics, fintech, and artificial intelligence. Notably, the Pittsburgh metro is home to over 100 robotics-related companies, while the tech industry employs over 86,000 knowledge workers. Not surprisingly, several leading companies have placed R&D facilities in the Pittsburgh area, including Apple, IBM, Intel, and Microsoft. Long known for being affordable, the Steel City is also a great place to spend two years says Anushikha Sharma. “Pittsburgh has a charming and diverse landscape. Nestled amongst three rivers, the city has stunning scenery, unique neighborhoods, and world-class museums. I’ve appreciated the serenity of local hiking and kayaking, and enjoyed Broadway’s Hadestown and craft beer in our buzzing downtown. Calling Pittsburgh my home for two years has been a privilege.” For Sharma, maybe the most popular tradition among Tepper students is the Tepper Bar Night that happens on Thursdays. “We choose different spots around Pittsburgh to explore new neighborhoods, and everyone drops their busy schedule to come and hang out. Whether it’s a classic pub, a rooftop bar with stunning views, or a fun arcade, there’s something for everyone, even those who don’t drink. In our small, close-knit Tepper community, Bar Night goes beyond just drinks; it’s a weekly gathering where we connect, share stories, and celebrate together. If you ever meet a Tepperoni – ask them about Mario’s!” Tepper student AN INTERVIEW WITH THE ADMSSIONS DIRECTOR What can MBA applicants and students expect at the Tepper MBA In the coming year? What are some ways that the program enhances students’ soft skills? What are the new courses being rolled out to students? Last fall, P&Q reached out to J.R. McGrath, Executive Director of Masters Admissions. Here are his thoughts on these questions and others. P&Q: 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? McGrath: “Over the past two years, the Tepper School has increased our focus on career outcomes for students. Every aspect of our program is developed with the question of “how will this impact student career outcomes?” The Masters Team has implemented a system of Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) to measure progress and evaluate the impact of activities. This resulted in continuous improvement of career outcomes for our graduates. Another important development is the launch of a concentration in AI. At a school like Carnegie Mellon University, this is a natural fit for our curriculum as tech is part of our DNA. This new concentration will include courses not just at Tepper, but from colleges across the Carnegie Mellon University campus. P&Q: Every January, P&Q publishes a “10 Business Schools to Watch” feature that highlights how schools are raising the bar and enhancing the student experience through innovation or expansion in programming or resources. What is one innovation that sets your school apart from your peer programs and makes you a business school to watch? Why is it so groundbreaking? McGrath: “Our tagline at Tepper is The Intelligent Future – Data Informed/Human Driven. The human driven approach is what motivates our emphasis on leadership development in the areas of Cultural Humility and Emotional Intelligence (EQ). Every Tepper Masters student will receive training and coaching in these areas so they are prepared to lead in an inclusive and diverse environment that uses data, but considers the human purpose and needs. Our leadership development program is managed by the Accelerate Leadership Center (ALC) that provides programming as well as one-on-one leadership coaching. Part of the leadership experience can also include the Golub Board Fellows Program, The Dean’s Scholars Advanced Leadership Program, and a case competition ecosystem that is supported by the ALC. Students have a variety of options to not only learn and grow their leadership knowledge, but to practice and grow their leadership skills. Tepper students are surrounded by not only opportunities to learn and grow their technical skills, but programmatic and 1-on-1 support to grow as the world’s next generation of business leaders. The 1-on-1 coaching support is groundbreaking and allows Tepper Students the space, resources, and expertise to truly make personalized progress during their time at Tepper.” Tepper Quad P&Q: What types of programs do you offer to sharpen your students’ soft skills? What areas do you emphasize and how do you instill these skills in your students? McGrath: “The Accelerate Leadership Center (ALC) is the driver of student leadership skills. The Tepper School of Business offers co-curricular leadership development to Masters students through their Accelerate Leadership Center which provides 1-on-1 leadership and communication coaching, experiential workshops, and customized programs such as a new Golub Board Fellows Program that matches students with a non-profit partner for board experience and an impactful project. Students develop their skills to be confident and inclusive leaders by focusing on the foundational capacities for emotional intelligence, cultural humility, and constructive dialogue. A Leadership Development Certification is offered that enables Tepper graduates to learn about the mindsets and skills necessary to lead impactfully and in diverse, competitive environments. The ALC also supports club leadership with additional assessments and coaching as they put into practice the leadership skills they are learning during their MBA experience. The small cohort and intimate atmosphere Tepper offers its students allows for an environment that encourages experimentation and growth. At Tepper, we are building leaders for the Intelligent Future.” P&Q: What types of programming – through classroom instruction, extracurriculars, and treks – does your school offer to expose students to country-specific and global business practices? What have students told you were the most educational and fun aspects of these activities? McGrath: “While students have multiple options for international exposure, one that stands out is the Global Capstone experience. This year students will have the option to participate in global capstones under faculty supervision in South Korea, Chile or South Africa. Students will work on a consulting project and travel to the focus country to learn about the company, country, and culture where the project takes place. Student clubs also create international treks supported by alumni in over 10 different countries during spring break, which is an informal way for students to learn and network with our international alumni.” MBA students gathered for a meeting P&Q: What are the most exciting new courses that your school is offering to MBAs this school year? What makes them so unique and valuable? McGrath: “Two new and exciting courses being offered at Tepper include the following: Marketing Strategy in the Age of Sustainability taught by Jeff Gallak; DEI&B Strategy taught by David Major, strategy professor and Associate Dean for DEIB. Students have shown strong interest in both sustainability and DEIB as part of their MBA education and these courses are a reflection of faculty responding to student interest.” P&Q: Who are two new professors who’ve joined your faculty in the past year? What do they teach and how will they be difference-makers in your MBA program? McGrath: “We have one new professor that will be teaching in the MBA program this year. Dr. Ben Collier will be teaching business analytics. He brings a unique perspective to the class since he had a dual emphasis in Information Systems and Organizational Behavior in his PhD program. He also worked as a data scientist for a large health care company as well as Duolingo so he brings a corporate lens to his classes. We are excited to have Dr. Collier teaching in our MBA program.” P&Q: What types of support does your career center and alumni provide to MBA students? How have these services and relationships made your graduates more competitive in the marketplace? McGrath: “The Tepper Masters Career Center supports our students through all phases of their career journey. Our Career Coaches (several of whom are Tepper MBA grads) have deep industry experience and knowledge, which guides our students in identifying their career goals, providing them with effective networking strategies to engage with alumni and recruiters and supports them in selling themselves through effective resumes, applications and interviews. The Masters Career Center also curates and offers a series of hundreds of annual corporate events and interviews to connect our students with companies seeking top MBA talent. The Tepper Alumni network is engaged and influential. Many of our MBA recruiters are also alumni, who are always eager to bring more Tepper talent into their organizations.” Click on the links below to access in-depth student profiles from the Class of 2026. MBA Student Hometown Undergraduate Alma Mater Last Employer Olivia Ahearn Plymouth, MI Grand Valley State University Deloitte Kyle Berney Shreveport, LA Brandeis University Capital One Aster Chmielewski Slippery Rock, PA University of Pittsburgh Deloitte Olivia Demkowicz Shrewsbury, MA Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) Emerson Anthony Raymond Edwards Atlanta, GA Morehouse College Microsoft Teyonna M. Jarman Barstow, CA Stanford University Blavity Daiki Kawata Fukuoka, Japan Waseda University Central Japan Railway Company James (Jim) Kromka Monroeville, PA Carnegie Mellon University Smith+Nephew Curtis W. Lloyd Santa Clara, UT United States Naval Academy Thumbtack Divyesha Malhotra San Jose, CA Duke University Opsera Gafar Shitta-Bey Dublin, Ireland SOAS University of London Bank of Ireland Shriya Sharma Columbia, MD University of Maryland T. Rowe Price Previous PagePage 2 of 2 1 2