Meet The Washington Foster MBA Class Of 2026

Erin Town with the Class of 2026 during last summer’s orientation. Courtesy photo

Q&A WITH ERIN TOWN, WASHINGTON FOSTER ASSISTANT DEAN OF FULL-TIME, EVENING, AND GLOBAL MBA PROGRAMS

Poets&Quants: What has been the most important development in your MBA program over the past year? What type of impact will this have on current and future MBAs?

Town: “Our Assistant Dean of Career Management, Kay P. Dawson, and I are collaborating to better integrate the MBA experience and ensure our teams are working together to prepare our students for success after graduation. We are expanding our employer relations efforts to broaden the types of experiential learning and employment opportunities available to students while staying attuned to the skills and experiences employers prioritize in their hiring processes. Additionally, we are engaging our Foster MBA alumni to offer expanded mentorship opportunities and to help strengthen our corporate connections. We are also examining how student organizations and leadership roles contribute to learning and professional readiness, focusing on how to best prepare our students both inside and outside the classroom to excel in their post-MBA careers.”

Poets&Quants: 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?

Town: “One innovation that sets Foster apart from its peers is the comprehensive case competition we run at the end of the fall quarter in year one. Taking place just three months into the program, this competition is groundbreaking because it challenges students early in their MBA journey to apply their learning to solve real-world management challenges. Drawing on knowledge from all core subjects in the first quarter, students work in teams to analyze a complex business case and deliver actionable recommendations to a panel of judges, which often includes industry leaders and faculty.

What makes this experience so unique is its fully integrated, active learning approach. It pushes students to synthesize knowledge across disciplines, think critically under time constraints, and present their ideas professionally and confidently. It is truly impressive to witness how adeptly our students are able to apply their knowledge after just three months in the program. This experience not only strengthens our students’ technical and strategic skills but also builds their confidence and readiness to tackle the kinds of challenges they will face as future business leaders.”

Poets&Quants: 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?

Town: “The Student Leadership Initiative (SLI) has been a cornerstone of the Foster MBA experience for over a decade, continuously evolving to meet the needs of today’s business world. At its core, SLI connects the curricular and extracurricular aspects of the MBA journey, offering students a unique platform to develop and practice leadership skills in real time. Foster believes that leadership is not just a concept to be studied but a skill to be honed through active engagement. SLI provides students with opportunities to take on meaningful leadership roles in students organizations, MBAA (MBA Student Association), and other community-focused initiatives. Through these experiences, students develop strategic planning, accountability, and team management skills while fostering a culture of service and impact within the Foster community.

Leadership and general soft skills development at Foster is further bolstered by ProDev, a program embedded within the MBA Career Management framework and complemented by core classes like Leadership Development, Building Effective Teams, and Professional Communications. ProDev ensures students master critical soft skills through ongoing assessment and personalized development plans. Starting from orientation, students receive feedback on presentations, writing, and team dynamics, guided by career coaches, second-year student mentors, and faculty. First-year students actively build confidence through simulations, mock interviews, and team-based learning, while second-year students continue refining their leadership and mentoring skills. These integrated efforts ensure that Foster graduates leave with not only the technical expertise but also the professional acumen to excel in today’s complex business landscape.”

Poets&Quants: 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?

Town: “A global perspective is a fundamental aspect of the Foster MBA program, underscoring our commitment to preparing students for leadership in an interconnected world. To this end, students are required to complete two international perspective activities during their time at Foster. We offer a variety of opportunities to fulfill this requirement, including Global Study Tours (which I outline further below), exchange programs, and internationally-focused courses. These experiences provide our students with firsthand exposure to diverse business practices, cultures, and economies, equipping them with the insights needed to navigate and succeed in global markets.

Among these opportunities, Global Study Tours are a standout feature, providing students with an immersive experience to explore country-specific and global business practices firsthand. These short-term programs, organized by the Global Business Center, enable students to engage directly with international business leaders, visit diverse organizations, and gain insights into cultural and economic nuances. This year, our global study tours will travel to Portugal and Guatemala. I am proud to serve as the staff lead for our Portugal Study Tour, where participants will explore industries ranging from technology to wine production, while also engaging in meaningful discussions about Portugal’s role in the global economy. Additionally, the Guatemala Study Tour will focus on sustainability, allowing students to learn from local leaders and organization s about sustainable business practices and environmental stewardship in a rapidly evolving economy. Students consistently highlight the tours as one of the most educational and enjoyable parts of their MBA journey, praising the opportunity to combine academic insights with real-world application and cultural exploration.”

Poets&Quants: What are the most exciting new courses that your school is offering to MBAs this school year? What makes them so unique and valuable?

Town: “Two courses that I’d like to highlight are Climate Risk & Innovation and Grand Challenges for Entrepreneurs for their innovative approaches to critical issues in today’s business world.

Climate Risk & Innovation explores the intersection of climate, innovation, and technology, providing students with cutting-edge tools and knowledge to assess climate-adjusted risks for businesses. Designed in collaboration with the UW Climate Risk Lab and led by Professor Phillip Bruner, this course empowers students to analyze physical and regulatory risks using geospatial and AI-powered tools. Through real-world case studies and cross-disciplinary collaboration, students develop actionable strategies to build resilience and seize opportunities in a rapidly changing business environment. By preparing students to integrate sustainability into decision-making, this course ensures they are at the forefront of climate-conscious leadership.

Grand Challenges for Entrepreneurs focuses on equipping students with the skills and mindset needed to address some of the world’s most pressing issues, including healthcare, education, poverty, and climate change. Led by Foster alum Chris Metcalfe, the course teaches entrepreneurial approaches such as design thinking, opportunity recognition, and business model innovation to create scalable, impactful solutions. By combining theory with hands-on projects, students gain the tools to tackle complex societal challenges while building ventures that balance business viability with social responsibility.”

Poets&Quants: 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?

Town: “Foster is thrilled to welcome (and in one case welcome back) two remarkable professors to our faculty, Vivenne Long and Ahmed Guecioueur, both of whom bring unique expertise and energy to the MBA program.

Vivienne Long brings a wealth of industry experience in strategic marketing and branding at REI, Starbucks, and Clorox, along with a passion for mentoring the next generation of business leaders. As a former CMO with extensive experience across diverse industries, Vivienne is leading initiatives to integrate practical, real-world marketing strategies into the classroom. Her dynamic teaching style, combined with a focus on innovation and inclusivity, is helping students develop actionable marketing skills that will set them apart in competitive global markets. Her commitment to fostering both analytical and creative thinking ensures that Foster MBAs are well-prepared to navigate complex branding challenges in their careers.

Ahmed Guecioueur joins Foster as a leading voice in Behavioral Finance, a field that delves into the psychological factors driving financial decision-making. His course, Behavioral Finance, equips students with a deeper understanding of how biases, emotions, and social dynamics influence financial behavior. With a strong background in both academic research and real-world applications, Ahmed challenges students to rethink traditional financial theories and apply behavioral insights to strategic decisions. By blending rigorous analysis with practical tools, Ahmed’s teaching is empowering Foster MBAs to become more insightful leaders in finance and beyond.”

Poets&Quants: 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?

Town: “The MBA Career Management Team works closely with students before, during, and after their MBA program to ensure that career goals are outlined and supported. Our coaches come from industry and can speak directly to the hiring process with Fortune 500 employers. Our Corporate Relations team has built strong relationships with Seattle’s diverse business community, from multinational firms to emerging startups.

Our process combines individual and group work, and experiential learning workshops that put students in front of some of Seattle’s premier companies in their first week of school. Our curriculum is founded on seven core competencies that equip students to graduate from the Foster MBA with a strategic approach to career development as they move through the various phases of their post-MBA career. Students emerge from the Foster MBA with a command of strategic thinking, growth mindset, community building, and interviewing skills along with more introspective awareness of their own unique strengths, values, communication style and cross-cultural inclusivity.

Our team is proud of the fact that Foster MBA alumni continue to give back to the program, via engagement on panels, and 1:1 networking with students. This inside scoop on what it takes to succeed in the ever-changing market gives Foster students a competitive edge when it comes to their internships and post-MBA roles.”

Next page: The profiles of 10 MBA students from Washington Foster’s Class of 2026

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