Meet The Texas A&M Mays MBA Class Of 2025

Interview with Jerry Strawser, Associate Dean for Graduate Programs, and Myra Gonzalez, Director of the Flex Online MBA

Poets&Quants: What are the two most exciting developments in your program in the past year and how will they enrich the MBA experience for current and future MBAs?

Strawser: Creation of a unique program from scratch: The creation of the Flex Online MBA program and curriculum have been exciting to explore industry needs, include the advancement of artificial intelligence, predictive analytics, and general technology literacy will provide skills for the future. Also, the creation and implementation of the eight-week faculty teaching and learning (TLC) course and 16-week course development with instructional designers has prepared our faculty to be their best in the online classroom. Maximizing their time with students in meaningful and engaging activities, not lectures.

Continued demand for second cohort: The strong enrollment in both the first and second cohorts is an exciting indicator of the program’s momentum and market relevance. This sustained demand suggests the offering is resonating well with working professionals, meeting their upskilling needs with a product that’s both timely and impactful. It’s a promising sign of long-term viability and continued growth.

Poets&Quants: If you were giving a campus tour, what is the first place you’d take an MBA applicant? Why is that so important to the MBA experience?

Gonzalez: Our newest building in the Mays Business Education complex, The Wayne Roberts ’85 Building, featuring a collaboration plaza and grand atrium reflects excellence and state-of-the-art facilities, much like our production studios for the Flex Online MBA.

Poets&Quants: What is the most innovative thing you have introduced into the MBA program in recent years? How has it been a game changer for your program?
Strawser: By integrating data and technology literacy into a fast-paced, 16-month format, this MBA mirrors the speed of technological change and delivers not just relevant, but cutting-edge skills. Its hybrid design offers flexibility for working professionals, enabling rapid upskilling without compromising quality or depth.

Poets&Quants: What have MBAs told you is the most memorable, signature experience they’ve had in your program? Why did it resonate so much with them?

Gonzalez: Teamwork, community, network. Students consistently describe the Flex Online MBA as a transformative experience defined by deep connection, collaboration, and a strong sense of community. Despite the online format, the program fosters a powerful network of professionals who support, challenge, and inspire one another—turning classmates into lifelong colleagues.

What students say:

“Our program rocks! We look out for each other and learn from each other.” ~Angela Kesler ‘25

“The bond with my cohort has been one of the most unexpected and rewarding parts of this program. Despite being majority online, our group has built a level of trust, accountability, and mutual respect that feels rare. We push each other to excel, show up for one another when it counts, and celebrate each win along the way. It feels less like classmates and more like a professional alliance.” ~Phillip Spencer ‘25

“My relationship with my peers in the cohort has been collaborative, supportive, and inspiring. Despite being in an online format, we’ve built strong connections through group projects, cohort sessions, and informal check-ins. Everyone brings unique industry experience to the table, and there’s a genuine spirit of helping one another succeed—academically and professionally.” ~Randy Marek ‘25

Poets&Quants: What types of jobs are your students landing and which companies? (Include Examples For These Questions)

Strawser: The majority of our enrolled students are already working professionals employed full-time.

Our first cohort is set to graduate in December 2025, but in the first 12 months of the program we have had 31% of those seeking career enhancements receive a new job or promotion while enrolled.

Examples are:

• Kenneth O. J.P. Morgan Treasury Sales Associate-Healthcare Services
• Michael F. J.P. Morgan Chase Associate Banker
• Meghan H. Analytics start up, COO. (previously an educator)
• Luis B. Amazon Web Services
• Justin H. WebAI
• Antonio P. Capital Group

Poets&Quants: How does your B-school incorporate technology into the curriculum and how has it engaged students and faculty on the use or incorporation of such new, emerging technologies, for example like AI?

Gonzalez: In the Flex Online MBA, faculty actively embrace emerging technologies like AI to equip students with the skills needed to lead in a data-driven world. As part of the program’s core pillar of Data & Technology Literacy, students engage with AI across nearly every course, learning not only how to use it effectively, but also when it adds value and when it doesn’t. Through hands-on experience with predictive analytics, data mining, and programming in R and Python, students build fluency in modern tools that drive business innovation. This approach ensures graduates are not just tech-aware but tech-capable and ready to lead with insight, agility, and ethical responsibility.

See the next page for links to profiles of 12 Texas A&M Class of 2025 MBAs.

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