Meet Duke Fuqua’s MBA Class Of 2026

Entrance to the Fuqua School of Business

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?

Morgan: “Global perspectives and business practices are infused into many facets of Fuqua’s Daytime MBA program. We believe understanding complex global challenges and perspectives unlocks a mindset that enables our students to address multifaceted problems and seize international opportunities.

Experiential learning opportunities like Global Academic Travel Experience (GATE) allow students to study the historical, economic, and cultural influences on businesses in a set region. Then, they get to see those forces at work for themselves with a series of immersive sessions, site visits, and cultural experiences. This year, Professor Dan Vermeer created a course that explored the cutting-edge climate and sustainability practices employed in the Nordics. Students said a highlight of that trip was touring a family-owned seafood business which gave them an alternative view of what it means to run a successful business.

We also encourage our students to be proactive in pursuing their interests. For international students, that may involve planning treks in the U.S. and Puerto Rico or hosting their classmates for a trek in their home country when their schedule allows. Meanwhile, nearly 20% of our Daytime MBA Class of 2024 participated in an exchange program.

These global opportunities not only expose students to different perspectives but also forge stronger connections to each other and the world, expanding their understanding of the power of business as a force for good.”

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?

Morgan: “We believe it is critical to continually innovate in the curriculum with an eye toward being relevant and ensuring our graduates are prepared to contribute in an ever-changing and evolving world. I have already mentioned our new core course, Leading Business in a Complex World (LCW) and new electives in the climate and sustainability space. These courses are terrific examples of our faculty innovating and creating courses to address areas of emergent interest.

Every incoming Daytime MBA student will take the new LCW course, which is designed and delivered by a cross-disciplinary set of faculty — professors Aaron “Ronnie” Chatterji, Grainne Fitzsimons, and Keisha Cutright. I am particularly excited about the unique format for the course along with the positioning. It kicks off during Orientation and is the first course our students experience. It is high-energy, discussion-oriented, and includes elements of TED Talk-style presentations to elevate issues that are critical to leaders today. These include complex issues from the geopolitical, to team engagement, and down to the individual employee level.

I am similarly excited about a pair of electives we will offer as complements this fall — a Sustainable Operations course and a Business Sustainability Reporting and Analysis course. Both are offered in our new mini format for half the credits of a traditional course.  The content is both important and timely, and I am gratified that we are able to offer courses from different disciplines that get at a critical issue in business and society today.”

Outdoor Terrace

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?

Morgan: “We are so excited about the new ideas and diverse expertise that new faculty members are bringing to our community. There are several I could highlight, but I’m glad to have the opportunity to recognize Professors Angela Passarelli and Mengjie Xu.

Angela’s work is deeply connected to Fuqua’s identity. With her extensive background in leadership and coaching, she’s strengthened our already robust leader development programs. She works with incoming students as part of our core collaborative leadership course, a pivotal experience for students establishing foundational connections with their first-year teams.

Mengjie joins our faculty this year from the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management. Interested in financial accounting and information economics, her research is focused on how information dissemination influences markets and practical methods for improving market dynamics. She will work alongside an inspiring group of colleagues in our accounting area.”

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?

Morgan: “It is our Career Management Center’s top priority to support our students’ success in finding roles that are meaningful to their unique values and goals. To match our dynamic student body seeking a wide spectrum of post-MBA roles, our careers team includes established professionals across all industries.

Career programming is thoughtfully integrated into Fuqua’s MBA program with resources available before students reach the classroom. Then, career coaches work with students one-on-one, in small groups and in a class setting, where students gain access to resources and feedback that will help them connect their foundational business skills to their passions and strengths.

Career searching is a critical skill that MBAs will leverage in every phase of their career. Fuqua’s career center provides lifetime support to alumni, so while they build a strong foundation as students, they can continue to develop as their values shift.”

Click on the links below to access in-depth student profiles.

Duke Fuqua MBAs in the Class of 2026

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