Meet Chicago Booth’s MBA Class Of 2026

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?

Marcello: “Chicago Booth is home to the world’s preeminent academic business school faculty. Our faculty have held key global leadership positions, have advised world leaders, and have influenced policies with significant impact on markets, economies, countries, and communities. Ten of our faculty have received the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences since 1982 and for the first time at Booth, a faculty member received the 2024 COPSS Presidents’ Award, one of the highest honors in the field of statistics. These same faculty bring their transformative teaching and research to our students.

Also notably, we tenured five faculty members this year. We continue to recruit individuals who are making strides in their respective areas of study and who bring diverse perspectives to the classroom. Most recently, we welcomed several new members to Booth:

Leland Bybee, Assistant Professor of Finance

Jacob Conway,Assistant Professor of Economics

XY Han, Assistant Professor of Operations Management

Beidi Hu, Assistant Professor of Marketing

Sid Kankanala, Assistant Professor of Econometrics and Statistics

Malika Korganbekova, Assistant Professor of Marketing

Shuangning Li, Assistant Professor of Econometrics and Statistics

Virginia Minni, Assistant Professor of Economics

Agathe Pernoud, Assistant Professor of Economics

Julia Selgrad, Assistant Professor of Finance

Taisiya Sikorskaya, Assistant Professor of Finance

Bahar Taskesen, Assistant Professor of Operations Management

Li Yang, Assistant Professor of Accounting

P&Q: What types of support does your career center and alumni provide to MBA students? How have these services and [relationship] made your graduates more competitive in the marketplace?

Marcello: “Chicago Booth’s Career Services team offers students best-in-class career support, including career education, peer coaching, job search and research tools, and partnership with top MBA corporate recruiters. With our experienced career coaches and breadth of employer engagement opportunities, students are fully supported as they develop personalized job search strategies and work toward securing internships and post-graduation roles.

To stand out among the many qualified candidates, successful students not only have core technical skills for the role but also can clearly articulate how they are uniquely qualified for a position. They should be able to convey an understanding of industry fundamentals, demonstrate initiative and leadership, align with company values, and express sincere interest in the organization and role. Booth students are highly competitive in the interview process, and excel in their internships and full-time roles. Companies frequently cite analytical horsepower, collaboration, communication, and critical thinking skills, as strengths of Booth students.

An MBA from Chicago Booth opens doors to a range of roles and gives students increased earning potential, a comprehensive knowledge of business fundamentals, and a demonstrated commitment to personal and professional growth.

Chicago Booth students have access to a wide range of career paths throughout their MBA, and are highly encouraged to pursue their areas of interest. Top industry destinations include consulting, financial services (e.g., investment banking, private equity, venture capital, research, and real estate), and technology, and specialized roles within major sectors, such as (under technology, for example), operations, corporate strategy, investing, and corporate finance.

Students are drawn to Chicago Booth for its highly strategic and intellectually challenging MBA coursework curriculum. In addition to foundational business courses, numerous Booth students take advantage of experiential learning and lab courses which offer hands-on exposure to private equity, venture capital, healthcare, product development, and social impact.

Graduates have the skills needed to succeed and leverage their learning to drive long-term success of the organizations for which they work. We hear from companies that Booth students add considerable value through their technical and interpersonal skills, intellectual curiosity, leadership, communication, and collaboration. This in turn creates more opportunities for graduates with senior-level exposure and professional growth.  

New Chicago Booth graduates can expect a supportive and extensive network of global business leaders and changemakers among Booth’s alumni. Comprising more than 58,000 individuals who live and create impact in more than 120 countries around the world, Chicago Booth’s dynamic alumni support new Booth graduates through mentorship, career guidance, and by providing networking opportunities.

Our alumni have shared that Chicago Booth has engaged them in “lifelong learning.” Graduates credit Booth’s Chicago Approach with giving them confidence to think analytically and strategically, and know how to tackle complex business decisions they have never seen before. Alumni continue to share opportunities with and help students to learn more about roles in their industry and firms. Students benefit from Booth alumni’s long-term leadership skills and the value of its network.

Alumni are heavily engaged in “school teams” in sectors like consulting and investment banking. Within technology, corporates and smaller financial services firms are excellent sources for internships and full-time roles. The alumni community, employer outreach, and the network which students build in the program continue to offer Booth students advantages in job search and continued professional development.

Many graduates have described Chicago Booth’s “pay-it-forward” culture as one of the greatest returns on investment. Booth Alumni help new Booth graduates through mentorship, career guidance, and by providing networking opportunities and key connections at events like Booth 20/20, Alumni Breakfast Series, and Booth Family Dinners. New Booth graduates also engage with other alumni at First-Year Reunion Events such as Reconnect and its Alumni Communities (to connect recent graduates to the Recent Alumni Guide), and benefit overall from alumni’s general commitment to hosting events and remaining engaged with Chicago Booth.”

ADVICE TO PROSPECTIVE APPLICANTS

“If possible, I strongly encourage visiting the Booth campus. There’s no better way to truly grasp the university’s environment and culture than by experiencing it firsthand. Attend a class as an auditor, explore the Harper Center, and engage in conversations with students and faculty. This visit will not only help you understand what makes Booth unique but also allow you to envision yourself as part of the community, which can strengthen your application narrative.”
Diego Zainos (’25)

“My advice is two-fold. First, start early (I know, it is easier said than done). To give the application process what it deserves, you will need to simultaneously engage in genuine self-reflection about your past experiences and future goals, reach out to mentors for letters of recommendation, and do test prep. I personally started with test prep to get that out of the way. Then in rapid fashion you will have to make decisions about what school is the best fit for you and think about moving to a new city, leaving your job, and all the other dimensions of starting school. If you are a deep thinker who needs time to process big decisions, like I do, you should not cram yourself or it will be really stressful.

Second, and most importantly, give yourself grace. The application process is tough. You can find yourself with regrets about what you did or did not do in the past. You can start to compare yourself with others. You cannot let the process define you. The reality is, some of this comes down to luck. Some of it can be boiled down to objective GPAs and GRE/GMAT scores, but there are also subjective judgments and a large pool of talented applicants. Shoot high, but no matter what, stay grounded in your purpose and remember that there are many pathways that can set you up for success.”
Rachel Zuckerman (’25)

MBA Student	Hometown	Undergraduate Alma Mater	Last Employer
Courtney Fondufe	West Orange, NJ	Columbia College	Redesign Health
Uyeol Jeon	Ansan, South Korea	Yonsei University	SLL
Sai Kumar	Orlando, FL	United States Military Academy (West Point)	United States Space Force
H. Romell Lewis II	Cleveland, OH	Ohio State University	University of Chicago Medical Center
Montgomery Miller	Lubbock, TX	Baylor University	Federal Bureau of Investigation
Daniella Morgan-Pascualvaca	Washington, DC	University of Chicago	Mella Pet Care
Giovanna Pinciroli	Milan, Italy	Stanford University	Apax Partners
Lorena Prates	Minas Gerais, Brazil	Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais	Anheuser-Busch InBev
Zachary Wright	Ruckersville, VA	Yale University	EY-Parthenon
Diego Zainos	Mexico City, Mexico	Universidad Anáhuac Mexico	IGNIA Partners
Rianna Zhou	Tianjin, China	National University of Singapore	JPMorgan Chase
Rachel Zuckerman	Livonia, Michigan	University of Iowa	U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

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