Meet The Texas McCombs MBA Class Of 2026

AN EARLY INTERNSHIP WITH MCCOMBS+

Among the Class of 2026, the structure of the MBA program has proven quite popular. Sunny Sandhu, a former teacher, notes the class is broken into four cohorts, who stay together throughout the core, and further divided into five-member study groups.

“The school actively encourages this collaboration, even assigning a second-year student to guide us, ensuring we maximize the benefits of having a study group,” Sandhu adds. “This class structure has helped alleviate the potential intimidation of large class sizes and helped to facilitate organic connections early, removing the pressure of trying to find familiar faces or friends in a sea of new people. I’ve learned a lot from my study group – they’ve become a vital support system as I navigate the hurdles of business school.”

Jordan Woods points to the “thoughtfulness” of the McCombs curriculum, particularly industry treks hosted by the school. “I was able to travel with about 20 of my classmates to Beaverton, Oregon to visit the Nike Headquarters,” Woods adds. “An alumni of the Texas McCombs program coordinated the opportunity for us to tour the campus with one of their storytellers, meet with other McCombs alumni at Nike, and learned about Nike’s pain points and new vision for branding. It was a demonstration of the breadth of companies McCombs alumni go in their careers and allowed us to explore retail and marketing from a legacy brand.”

Another popular offering is the patented McCombs+ course, 8-10-week micro-consulting projects where student teams partner with the likes of Dell and Deloitte. Here, students can gain real-world experience in a variety of functions and industries – all while receiving one-on-one coaching and applying their learning from their core courses. Call McCombs+ practice for the real deal: the all-important summer internship. Even more, it enables students to bolster their resume, while building their networks in leading companies.

“[McCombs+] stood out because it allows me to immediately apply what I’m learning in class to real-world projects, while collaborating with my classmates,” explains Juliet Uadiale. “This hands-on approach to learning was crucial for me, as it bridges the gap between theory and practice, ensuring that I can develop the skills needed to thrive in my future career.”

Ekaterina Kouznetsova is equally bullish on the course. “I’m currently involved in a McCombs+ project focused on a go-to-market strategy in the generative AI space, where we collaborate with companies on micro-consulting projects. This initiative lets us apply our classroom knowledge while gaining valuable real-world experience and feedback from industry experts.”

AN INTERVIEW WITH TINA MABLEY

In February, the MBA program received a $20-million-dollar gift from Mindy Hildebrand (BBA ’86) to provide scholarship support to students. What else can applicants, students, and alumni expect from McCombs? This spring, P&Q reached out to Tina Mabley, senior associate dean at the McCombs School of Business. From new developments to overseas treks to career services, here are Mabley’s thoughts on all things McCombs.

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?

Mabley: “Beyond strategically augmenting our curriculum with a suite of AI and Predictive Analytics courses, which I go into in more detail later, I want to highlight two impactful areas that are having significant impact on our student experience.

First of all, the Texas McCombs Investment Advisors program is celebrating its 30th year in existence and the program has been celebrated and strengthened to enhance a truly distinctive experience – with real stakes and real impact. While many business schools offer investment management courses, TMIA stands apart in three crucial ways:

First, our students manage over $20 million in actual investor capital, not simulated portfolios. This level of trust and responsibility creates an unparalleled learning environment where every decision has real consequences for real stakeholders.

Second, TMIA demonstrates our deep integration with the business community. In addition to studying investment theory, students engage with industry leaders, pitch to experienced investors, and build relationships that shape their careers.

Third, TMIA embodies our philosophy of experiential learning at scale. The program combines rigorous academic oversight with practical application, guest speaker insights, and direct market engagement. Students develop not just financial acumen, but essential leadership skills in decision-making, stakeholder communication, and strategic thinking.

The program’s 30-year track record of success and growth from $1.6 million to over $20 million in managed assets demonstrates both our commitment to innovation in business education and our ability to deliver exceptional results. This is exactly the kind of transformative experience that sets a Texas McCombs MBA apart – we’re not just preparing students for the business world; we’re giving them the opportunity to lead in it while they’re still in school.

Second is our Peer Leadership Coaches (PLCs), who create a powerful leadership development ecosystem where second-year MBAs accelerate their own growth while guiding first-year students through their transformative MBA journey. As Fellows mentor first-year study teams, they develop essential leadership capabilities that translate directly to their future roles as organizational leaders.

The program creates a virtuous cycle of leadership development. Fellows strengthen their coaching and leadership abilities through hands-on experience, while first-year students benefit from peer mentorship that accelerates their own development. This culture of mutual growth and support distinguishes the McCombs MBA experience and prepares our graduates to lead with greater impact in their careers.

Through this structured mentorship program, Fellows don’t just enhance their own leadership capabilities—they actively shape the McCombs community and create lasting value for the next generation of business leaders.”

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?

Mabley: “One of our recent groundbreaking innovations is our Investing in Philanthropy course, which redefines experiential learning by allowing students to actively engage in high-impact philanthropic decision-making. Unlike traditional courses that merely discuss charitable giving, this program empowers students to allocate up to $85,000 in grant money to nonprofit organizations, giving them firsthand experience in ethical, strategic philanthropy.

What sets this course apart is its interdisciplinary approach, drawing from finance, marketing, ethics, and policy to develop well-rounded, socially responsible leaders. Students analyze nonprofit effectiveness, explore the distinctions between philanthropy, impact investing, and responsible investing, and engage directly with industry leaders through guest lectures.

This class is further complemented by a strong ecosystem that includes our student-run Board Fellows Program where students serve on nonprofit boards. In the course, Students gain hands-experience on simulated giving teams, like the Longhorn Giving Circle and Tower Inc. Corporate Foundation program. Students gain real-world insight into nonprofit governance, corporate foundations, and high impact grantmaking. This immersive experience not only prepares them to be effective stewards of their own resources but also equips them to serve as responsible board members and leaders in any sector.

By integrating rigorous financial analysis with purpose-driven leadership, Texas McCombs is pioneering a new opportunity to create leaders with lasting impact in their jobs and their communities.”

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?

Mabley: “At McCombs, we provide a comprehensive suite of programs designed to sharpen our students’ soft skills, with a strong emphasis on leadership, communication, and strategic thinking. Through our McCombs+ Program, students receive personalized mentorship from over 40 executive and communication coaches, refining critical skills such as executive presence, interpersonal communication, emotional intelligence, conflict resolution, and team leadership.

We teach leadership through a dynamic, experience-driven framework that develops both the inner compass and external effectiveness of our students—honing their character through authenticity, integrity, and purpose while strengthening their credibility through strategic agility, communication excellence, and collaborative mastery, ensuring they lead with both principle and impact in any professional setting.

We instill these skills through a team-based, experiential learning approach, reinforced by our rigorous curriculum, Fellows programs, student organizations, Peer Leadership Coaches, McCombs+ Global & Experiential Learning, and our Center for Leadership and Ethics (CLE). This holistic structure ensures that leadership is not just a title—it’s earned through trust, respect, and influence in every action and interaction.”

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?

Mabley: “At Texas McCombs, we’ve thoughtfully designed our global business programming to offer students multiple pathways for developing international business acumen and cross-cultural competencies. Our portfolio includes Short Term Exchange Programs (STEP) ranging from 5 to 14 days, semester-long Global Connections Study Tours that culminate in 9–10-day immersions abroad, and full-semester exchange opportunities at over 30 partner universities worldwide. This tiered approach allows students to customize their global experience based on their interests, academic goals, and desired time commitment while satisfying program requirements.

A standout example of our global offerings is our partnership with Copenhagen Business School (CBS), where we offer two distinctive STEP programs that align with our Responsibility and Integrity curriculum requirement. In March, students can participate in the Social Entrepreneurship and Business Model Innovation program, an intensive week-long immersion that combines academic rigor with practical application. Through a mix of lectures from CBS faculty, visits to Copenhagen-based social enterprises, and applied group work, students develop crucial competencies in impact assessment, entrepreneurial thinking, and stakeholder engagement. The program culminates in a pitch competition where students present investment-ready social business models, providing them with valuable experience in the rapidly growing field of impact investing. An alternative program in May focuses on ESG and the Transformation of Finance, offering students another opportunity to explore sustainable business practices in one of Europe’s most progressive business environments.

Beyond our structured programs, students can pursue semester-long exchanges that offer deep immersion in local business practices and cultures. These extended experiences, combined with our shorter-term options, ensure that every Texas McCombs MBA student graduates with the global mindset and cross-cultural competencies essential for leadership in today’s interconnected business landscape. Our students consistently highlight how these varied international experiences enhance their adaptability, broaden their perspective on global markets, and build lasting professional networks that span continents.”

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?

Mabley: “At McCombs, we are proactively integrating AI into our curriculum by launching four innovative courses that equip students with the skills to navigate the rapidly evolving AI landscape across industries. Our approach ensures that MBA students not only understand AI’s technological capabilities but also develop the strategic, ethical, and leadership acumen to implement AI solutions effectively.

Our AI in Business and Society course, taught by Professor Maytal Saar-Tsechansky, provides a foundational understanding of AI’s role in business decision-making, risk management, and ethical considerations, enabling students to assess AI-driven opportunities responsibly. Predictive Analytics and Data Mining offers hands-on experience with machine learning and data mining techniques, empowering students to apply AI tools to challenges like consumer behavior forecasting, fraud detection, and risk management.

For students focused on organizational transformation, AI Strategies for Digital Transformation explores how businesses can integrate AI at scale, with an emphasis on strategic frameworks and human-AI collaboration. Professor Indranil Bardhan’s course is particularly exciting because it focuses on generative AI and large language models, equipping students with cutting-edge frameworks for implementing AI across finance, supply chain management, marketing, and healthcare contexts. For a deeper dive into Marketing, Artificial Intelligence in Marketing delves into AI’s impact on customer engagement, campaign optimization, and data-driven personalization, ensuring students are prepared to leverage AI for competitive advantage.

Together, these courses create a comprehensive AI learning experience that helps us stay nimble as the topic continues to evolve, equipping McCombs MBAs with the technical knowledge, strategic insight, and leadership skills needed to drive AI-powered innovation across industries.

Global Net Zero Strategy represents our commitment to preparing leaders who can tackle climate challenges through business innovation. Professor Jacob Bradt’s course is distinctive in its approach, treating environmental sustainability as a strategic opportunity rather than a compliance requirement. Through immersive case studies, team exercises, and policy simulations, interested students learn to develop corporate strategies that create value while addressing climate resilience. The course is especially valuable for MBAs who see the private sector as a critical driver of environmental solutions.

These courses reflect our commitment to preparing MBAs who are not just technically skilled, but strategically innovative and conscientious leaders.”

Next Page: Profiles of 12 Members of the Class of 2026

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